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Performance Optimization of a Fuel Cell by Measuring the Moisture Content in Its Membranes

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Smart Sensing Technology for Agriculture and Environmental Monitoring

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering ((LNEE,volume 146))

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Abstract

The fuel cell (FC) is a source of energy that help to avoid pollution and thus contribute to solutions for global warming. This kind of battery is well known since many decades but its research for improving their efficiency is still in progress. Such battery could also be used for specific applications for example in agriculture where many devices operate in a limited area such as tractors, pumps, transfer systems treadmills of agricultural products.

One important parameter among others is the diagnostic of their membranes state using real time humidity measurements to improve their efficiency. In this chapter, the basics of FC are first described and their various parameters described. The importance of humidity and its consequences on the efficiency of the FC are also summarized. The different techniques used for measuring the moisture content of the FC with their advantages and disadvantages are also presented before giving the results of measurements performed by our research team at the Nancy University Henri Poincaré.

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Rouane, A., Nadi, M., Allagui, H., Kourtiche, D. (2012). Performance Optimization of a Fuel Cell by Measuring the Moisture Content in Its Membranes. In: Mukhopadhyay, S. (eds) Smart Sensing Technology for Agriculture and Environmental Monitoring. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, vol 146. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27638-5_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27638-5_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27637-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27638-5

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