@article{29756,
  keywords = {Quality control, Defect detection, Polymer-electrolyte fuel cells, Reactive impinging flow},
  author = {Iryna V Zenyuk and Nicholas Englund and Guido Bender and Adam Z Weber and Michael J Ulsh},
  title = {Reactive impinging-flow technique for polymer-electrolyte-fuel-cell electrode-defect detection},
  abstract = {<p><span>Reactive impinging flow (RIF) is a novel quality-control method for defect detection (i.e., reduction in Pt catalyst loading) in gas-diffusion electrodes (GDEs) on weblines. The technique uses infrared thermography to detect temperature of a nonflammable (&lt;4% H</span><sub>2</sub><span>) reactive mixture of H</span><sub>2</sub><span>/O</span><sub>2</sub><span>&nbsp;in N</span><sub>2</sub><span>&nbsp;impinging and reacting on a Pt catalytic surface. In this paper, different GDE size defects (with catalyst-loading reductions of 25, 50, and 100%) are detected at various webline speeds (3.048 and 9.144&nbsp;m&nbsp;min</span><sup>−1</sup><span>) and gas flowrates (32.5 or 50&nbsp;standard&nbsp;L&nbsp;min</span><sup>−1</sup><span>). Furthermore, a model is developed and validated for the technique, and it is subsequently used to optimize operating conditions and explore the applicability of the technique to a range of defects. The model suggests that increased detection can be achieved by recting more of the impinging H</span><sub>2</sub><span>, which can be accomplished by placing blocking substrates on the top, bottom, or both of the GDE; placing a substrate on both results in a factor of four increase in the temperature differential, which is needed for smaller defect detection. Overall, the RIF technique is shown to be a promising route for in-line, high-speed, large-area detection of GDE defects on moving weblines.</span></p>},
  year = {2016},
  journal = {Journal of Power Sources},
  volume = {332},
  pages = {372 - 382},
  month = {01/2016},
  issn = {03787753},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.09.109},
  language = {eng},
}