Numerical Model of Platinum Dissolution in Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with Slow Proton Transfer

The slow proton transfer in the proton exchange membrane that causes a delay of membrane-phase potential changing against solid-phase one is taken into the numerical model and the difference between the experimental and simulation results is elucidated. The slow movement of proton transfer causes the higher cathode potential enough to induce the platinum dissolution and platinum oxide formation, which is 0.98 V and 1.188 V, respectively. The proton concentration is rapidly increased right after the potential rising and decrease to zero in 10 s. The calculation results show good agreement with the fact that the platinum degrade under the potential cycling condition of 10 s.