Development of a dynamic CT system for neutron radiography and consecutive visualization of three-dimensional water behavior in a PEFC stack

Murakawa, Hideki*; Hashimoto, Michinori*; Sugimoto, Katsumi*; Asano, Hitoshi*; Takenaka, Nobuyuki*; Mochiki, Koichi*; Yasuda, Ryo

A dynamic CT system was developed for visualization of consecutive three-dimensional water behavior in a PEFC stack for neutron radiography. The system is composed of a neutron image intensifier and a C-MOS high speed videocamera. An operating stack with three cells based on the Japan Automobile Research Institute standard was visualized using the neutron radiography system at a research reactor JRR-3 in Japan Atomic Energy Agency. The dynamic water behavior in channels in the operating PEFC stack was clearly visualized every 15 seconds by using the system. The water amount in each cell was evaluated by the CT reconstructed images. It was shown that a cell voltage decreased gradually when the water increased and increased rapidly when the water was evacuated. It was estimated that the power generation stopped when the channel of a cell was partly filled with the water because the air supply was blocked to a cell in the stack.