Date of Award

Fall 1993

Document Type

Thesis - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Blumenthal, Robert

Second Advisor

Seitz, Martin A.

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to investigate the polarization processes present at the electrode / electrolyte interface of platinum on 8 mole% Yttria Stabilized Zirconia with a three electrode AC Impedance measurement technique. In determining the polarization processes it is intended that the rate limiting mechanism be determined so that future improvements might be made in the efficiency of fuel cells. This measurement technique allows for a higher resolution, compared with that of a two electrode measurement, of the polarization processes at the working electrode and the ysz electrolyte interface. This measurements are taken isothermally and isobarically and the resulting spectra are analyzed with a non linear least squares program so that the individual physio-chemical processes present can be determined.

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