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The Modification of Fuel Cell-Based ...

Allan, Jesse.

The Modification of Fuel Cell-Based Breath Alcohol Sensor Materials to Improve Water Retention of Sensing Performance.

Record Type:	Electronic resources : Monograph/item
Title/Author:	The Modification of Fuel Cell-Based Breath Alcohol Sensor Materials to Improve Water Retention of Sensing Performance.
Author:	Allan, Jesse.
Published:	Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2016
Description:	290 p.
Notes:	Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 78-02(E), Section: B.
Notes:	Adviser: Franco Gaspari.
Contained By:	Dissertation Abstracts International78-02B(E).
Subject:	Materials science.
Online resource:	http://pqdd.sinica.edu.tw/twdaoapp/servlet/advanced?query=10171346
ISBN:	9781369253832

The Modification of Fuel Cell-Based Breath Alcohol Sensor Materials to Improve Water Retention of Sensing Performance.
Allan, Jesse.

The Modification of Fuel Cell-Based Breath Alcohol Sensor Materials to Improve Water Retention of Sensing Performance. - Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2016 - 290 p.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 78-02(E), Section: B.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Canada), 2016.

Fuel cell based breath alcohol sensors (BrASs) are one of the most important tools used by law enforcement today. The ability to screen potentially intoxicated subjects with the ease, speed, and flexibility the BrAS can provide is unmatched by any other device of its kind. While these devices are used globally, they all suffer from a common deficiency: reliance on water. The ability of the fuel cell sensor to manage water content is one of the greatest fundamental challenges facing this technology today.

ISBN: 9781369253832Subjects--Topical Terms:

221779
Materials science.

The Modification of Fuel Cell-Based Breath Alcohol Sensor Materials to Improve Water Retention of Sensing Performance.
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245 1 4 $a The Modification of Fuel Cell-Based Breath Alcohol Sensor Materials to Improve Water Retention of Sensing Performance.
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500 $a Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 78-02(E), Section: B.
500 $a Adviser: Franco Gaspari.
502 $a Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Canada), 2016.
520 $a Fuel cell based breath alcohol sensors (BrASs) are one of the most important tools used by law enforcement today. The ability to screen potentially intoxicated subjects with the ease, speed, and flexibility the BrAS can provide is unmatched by any other device of its kind. While these devices are used globally, they all suffer from a common deficiency: reliance on water. The ability of the fuel cell sensor to manage water content is one of the greatest fundamental challenges facing this technology today.
520 $a In order to evaluate the fuel cell sensor device, a methodology was required that would allow in-house sensor testing to be coupled with a diagnostic testing method to not only test materials sensing performance, but also determine why a sensor behaved how it did. To do this, a next-generation fuel cell was designed specifically for sensor testing along with a test station that allowed for rapid response and sensor characteristics of a given material. The fuel cell was designed to allow in-situ testing of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of interest using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The in-house design was validated against a commercial cell to provide feedback on how materials in the in-house cell would behave in a commercial designed unit. The results showed that our cell with a commercial MEA behaved identically to a commercial cell with the same MEA.
520 $a Following validation of our cell, common membrane materials were investigated to identify their suitability in a senor role. The materials chosen were designed for power generating devices, so they provided a benchmark to identify which properties would be important for sensor operation. It was found that while the Nafion membrane and sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) did show performance increases over the commercial MEA, the thin characteristics of these membranes limited performance in drier conditions. From these results, it was determined that thicker membrane materials are better suited for sensor applications.
520 $a The commercially used porous poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) membrane was investigated and modified to improve performance of this material. As PVC does not contain any natural hydroscopic properties, the addition of various hydrophilic groups to the PVC would aid in water management. It was found that while chemical modification could improve water retention, optimization of the modifications would be required to ensure flooding was not an issue. Composites of PVC and sulfonated silica showed performance that matched that of the commercial PVC, whilst using significantly less water to achieve those results. By reducing the water required for sensing, leaching of acid, as well as flooding could be reduced.
520 $a Finally, the catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer (GDL) were investigated to understand what properties of these would impart the best performance increases for the sensor. For the catalyst layer, it was found that platinum black and 20% platinum supported on carbon achieved similar results. Platinum black has excellent catalytic activity for the ethanol oxidation reaction, while the surface area of the 20% platinum supported on carbon would allow for more ethanol to react, increasing the overall sensor capability. The choice of catalyst was less of an issue than the choice of GDL. It was found that using carbon fiber paper GDLs lead to greater retention of water in the MEA compared to carbon cloth GDLs due to the lower air permeability. This came at a cost however in that with a lower air permeability, less ethanol vapour would reach the catalytic sites, reducing sensing performance. Depending on the choice of membrane, removal of the GDL could impart performance increases, but could also cause detrimental failure in the case of Nafion based systems.
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