Lab report
Aanuoluwapo Olumuyiwa
016764228
CHE 176
Experiment 1 (Objective: Efficiency calculation)
From datasets GrD_01_charge.xls and GrD_01_discharge.xls:
Charged Wh = 72.4 mWh = 0.0724 Wh
Discharged Wh = 3.3 mWh = 0.0033 Wh
Efficiency in % = (Discharged Wh)/ (Charged Wh) x 100 = (0.0033/0.0724) x 100 = 4.56%
Reason for inefficiency:
When a battery is charged or discharged, some of the energy is lost to heat. This is known as
Joule heating and it is governed by the equation:
P = I2R - Equation 1
Where, P = Power
I = Current
R = Resistance
The discharge current used in this experiment is 1500 mA, which is quite high. This leads to
an increased loss of energy to heat in accordance with equation 1. Therefore, the efficiency is
only 4.56%, which is inefficient.
Experiment 2 (Objective: I-V characteristics measurement)
The current and voltage data from GrD_02.xls:
Current (A) Voltage (V)
Open circuit voltage (OCV) 0 0.9
End of discharge step 1 0.0098 0.8134
End of discharge step 2 0.0492 0.7505
End of discharge step 3 0.0995 0.6888
End of discharge step 4 0.1493 0.6104
End of discharge step 5 0.1995 0.328
I-V graph
I-P table
We know that P = V x I.
This table was created using data from the I-V table
Title Current (A) Power (W)
Open circuit voltage (OCV) 0 0
End of discharge step 1 0.0098 0.007971
End of discharge step 2 0.0492 0.036925
End of discharge step 3 0.0995 0.068536
End of discharge step 4 0.1493 0.091133
End of discharge step 5 0.1995 0.065436
I-P graph
Experiment 3 (Objective: I-V curve with air instead of pure oxygen)
The current and voltage data from GrD_03.xls:
Current (A) Voltage (V)
Open circuit voltage (OCV) 0 0.9
End of discharge step 1 0.0098 0.7859
End of discharge step 2 0.0492 0.7015
End of discharge step 3 0.0995 0.6104
End of discharge step 4 0.1493 0.5168
End of discharge step 5 0.1995 0.4203
End of discharge step 6 0.1752 0.0362
I-V graph
Note: Step 6 was ignored to make this plot
Cause of Voltage drop
The theoretical voltage of 1.23V is derived from the Gibbs free energy change under standard
conditions. However, in practice, the actual voltage of the fuel cell is lower due to the following
losses:
1. Activation Losses: Energy is required to overcome the activation barrier for the
electrochemical reactions at the electrodes. These losses are significant at low current
densities.
2. Ohmic Losses: These occur due to resistance in the fuel cell components, such as the
electrolyte and electrodes. These losses increase linearly with current.
Comparison of I-V Curves: Experiment 2 vs. Experiment 3
E = 1/nF (- ΔGo + RT ln (aH2 ao21/2 / aH2O))
Experiment 2 shows higher voltages across all current ranges. Pure oxygen ensures a higher
activity, maximizing the reaction potential. The activity of pure oxygen (ao2) is 1 and hydrogen
and water are pure and in their standard states (aH2 = aH2O = 1). Therefore, according to the
above equation, the logarithmic term will cancel out and the voltage will be dependent on the
remaining terms. Experiment 3 exhibits lower voltages due to reduced oxygen partial pressure.
The reduced availability of oxygen leads to greater concentration losses and lower reaction
efficiency. We use oxygen in the air, which has an activity of 0.21 (aO2 = 0.21). The logarithmic
term will not cancel out this time and the voltage obtained now will be different in comparison
to the one obtained in experiment 2. Hence, there is a difference between the I-V curves of
experiment 2 and experiment 3.