LOW COST AND IMPROVED CARBON COMPOSITES FOR PHOSPHORIC ACID FUEL CELLS

CARBON COMPOSITES ARE A MAJOR COMPONENT OF PHOSPHORIC ACID FUEL CELL (PAFC) COST. THESE COMPONENTS ARE MADE BY CARBONIZING RESIN/CARBON COMPOSITES. THE HEAT TREATMENT PROCESS FOR OBTAINING A DEFECT-FREE PART IS LENGTHY (7 TO 30DAYS) AND EXPENSIVE. SHORTER HEAT TREATMENT CYCLES CAN BE DESIGNED IF THE CRITICAL TEMPERATURE ZONES AND HEATING RATES(I.E., THOSE AT WHICH DEFECTS OCCUR) CAN BE IDENTIFIED. GENERALLY, FORMATION OF DEFECTS IS ACCOMPANIED BY MECHANICAL STRESS, WHICH EMITS SOUND WAVES CALLED ACOUSTIC EMISSIONS. THUS, DETERMINATION OF CRITICAL ZONES IS FEASIBLE BY CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING ACOUSTIC EMISSIONS AS THE SAMPLES ARE HEATED. THE OBJECTIVE OF PHASE I IS TO USE THE ACOUSTIC EMISSION TECHNIQUE FOR DETERMINING THE CRITICALZONES IN HEAT TREATMENT OF CARBON COMPOSITES USED IN PAFC. BASED ON THIS DETERMINATION, NEW AND SHORTER HEAT TREATMENT CYCLES FOR PRODUCING THESE CARBON COMPOSITES WILL BE DESIGNED TO OBTAIN LOW COST AND HIGH PERFORMANCE CARBON COMPOSITES FOR PAFC.