Parameter Optimization for the Performance of a Reversible Fuel Cell

A reversible fuel cell is an electrochemical device that can be operated as a fuel cell (discharging mode) combining hydrogen fuel and oxygen gas to produce electricity in a clean manner, with the only byproduct being water. It can also be operated as an electrolyzer (charging mode) splitting water to produce hydrogen and oxygen gases that can be stored and used for various applications. State of the art fuel cells and electrolyzers typically work in an acidic environment, which imposes the need of expensive precious metals catalysts to expedite the reactions taking place in the oxygen and hydrogen side electrodes. In our lab we are working on a device similar to a reversible fuel cell that produces electricity and hydrogen peroxide (instead of water) in the discharging mode and produces hydrogen and oxygen (from hydrogen peroxide) in the charging mode. This device works in alkaline media, opening the possibility of using non-precious metal catalysts for the oxygen and hydrogen electrochemical reactions, which can significantly decrease the cost of the device. Moreover, electrochemically produced hydrogen peroxide is a very sought-after chemical used as a bleaching agent in many industrial applications, adding value to our device. As part of my research, I prepare electrodes for the hydrogen and oxygen reactions using in house-made catalysts materials, assemble cells using in house-made membranes, and test its performance for charging and discharging under simulated laboratory conditions. I focus on optimizing parameters to enhance the performance of the device during testing while guaranteeing results reproducibility.