This is a great book for people who are interested in learning how fuel cells work from electrochemical, polymer physics, and transport perspectives. The authors have organized these areas in an integrated way and with a balance between science and design.
The first chapter presents a general introduction to fuel cells, including design and structures, working principles, and current research focus. This is an excellent chapter for those who do not have a sufficient background in these subjects, or those who are interested in learning some basics.
The second chapter presents a deep discussion of polymer electrolyte membranes, a central part of fuel cells. The functions of the membrane are to separate the reactive gases and keep them in their own compartments, and to allow only hydrogen ions to migrate through the membrane and form an internal electric current. Proton transport is discussed in terms of water—proton interactions, hydrogel physics, and ionic fibrillary structures. A soliton theoretical model, water swelling of hydrogel, and modeling studies are introduced at proper levels.
The third chapter describes catalyst layers. It provides a nice treatment of the relationships among microporous structures of the catalyst layers, electrochemical kinetics, and transport processes. This part explains the link between electrochemical reactions and polarization behavior that is key to understanding how chemical energy is converted into electrical energy. The reaction kinetics is related to the voltage of the battery. Discussions are included for a few subjects such as oxygen reduction reactions.
The fourth chapter discusses modeling studies of catalyst layer performance, many of which were performed by the authors and their colleagues. The modeling covers multiple processes, including cathode and anode polarization and various limiting cases imposed by the transport of reactants and hydrogen ions. Theoretical analysis is given for most of the subjects, which provides a comprehensive interpretation of the materials presented in prior chapters.
In the fifth chapter, modeling studies are expanded to cover a few practical aspects of batteries that limit their performance or cause problems. This bridges the theoretical studies with the performance of products.
The references are extensive and up to date. I would have liked to see more real pictures, although the illustrations are good. Overall, this is a nice reference book that I would recommend for students, engineers, and researchers in the field.
Reviewer: SuPing Lyu is a principal researcher at Medtronic Inc., Mounds View, Minn., USA.
