Patent ID: 9250217
Filing Date: 2016-02-02
CPC Classification: B01D,G01N,G06F,H01M,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A method of determining the electroosmotic transport coefficient of a proton exchange membrane, the membrane being disposed between a first compartment and a second compartment, the first and second compartments each extending on either side of the membrane, the first and second compartments each presenting an entrance and an exit, the entrance of the first compartment being situated facing the exit of the second compartment and the entrance of the second compartment being situated facing the exit of the first compartment, the method comprising: (i) providing a flux of hydrated gas in each of the compartments, the flux of hydrated gas in the first compartment being a flux of hydrated hydrogen, the flux of hydrated gas being directed, in each of the compartments, from the entrance to the exit, the flux of hydrated gas, in each of the compartments, being controlled such that, in continuous operation, a relative humidity in the entrance of at least one of the compartments is equal to a relative humidity in the exit of the other of the compartments; (ii) providing a proton current through the membrane of the first compartment in the direction of the second compartment, (iii) determining a total flux of water that crosses the membrane, in continuous operation, from the first compartment in the direction of the second compartment by using at least one measurement of the quantity of water at the exit of the second compartment, (iv) calculating the electroosmotic transport coefficient from the total water flux.