Performance Data of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Using H 2 / CO as Fuel Gas

The performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was evaluated at 80 C in H{sub 2} with defined amounts of CO (25 to 250 ppm) and pure oxygen. Membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) were made using Nafion{trademark} 117 with carbon-supported dispersed Pt, Pt{sub 0.7}Ru{sub 0.3}, and Pt{sub 0.5}Ru{sub 0.5} as anode catalysts, and Pt as a cathode catalyst. For comparison the MEAs were first characterized in H{sub 2}/O{sub 2}. In H{sub 2}/CO//O{sub 2} steady-state current-voltage curves were obtained after a poisoning period. It was found that the performance of the cell depends strongly on the CO concentration and the anode catalyst used. For Pt{sub 0.5}Ru{sub 0.5} as anode catalyst, the maximum power density in H{sub 2}/CO//O{sub 2} was enhanced by a factor of four compared with a Pt anode catalyst. Using Pt{sub 0.5}Ru{sub 0.5} no difference in power density was found between pure H{sub 2} and H{sub 2}/100 ppm CO up to current densities of about 0.4 cm{sup {minus}2}.