Open AccessMethod—Practices and Pitfalls in Voltage Breakdown Analysis of Electrochemical Energy-Conversion Systems
Author(s) -
Michael R. Gerhardt,
L. M. Pant,
Justin C. Bui,
Andrew R. Crothers,
Victoria M. Ehlinger,
Julie C. Fornaciari,
Jiangjin Liu,
Adam Z. Weber
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of the electrochemical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 271
eISSN - 1945-7111
pISSN - 0013-4651
DOI - 10.1149/1945-7111/abf061
Subject(s) - voltage , polarization (electrochemistry) , electrochemistry , ohmic contact , energy transformation , electrochemical energy conversion , kinetic energy , materials science , work (physics) , computer science , nuclear engineering , electronic engineering , optoelectronics , chemistry , nanotechnology , electrical engineering , electrode , physics , engineering , thermodynamics , layer (electronics) , quantum mechanics
Many electrochemical energy-conversion systems are evaluated by polarization curves, which report the cell voltage across a range of current densities and are a global measure of operation and state of health. Mathematical models can be used to deconstruct the measured overall voltage and identify and quantify the voltage-loss sources, such as kinetic, ohmic, and mass-transport effects. These results elucidate the best pathways for improved performance. In this work, we discuss several voltage-breakdown methods and provide examples across different low-temperature, membrane-based electrochemical systems including electrolyzers, fuel cells, and related electrochemical energy-conversion devices. We present best practices to guide experimentalists and theorists in polarization-curve breakdown analysis.