Enhanced Water Management in PEMFCs: Perforated Catalyst Layer and Microporous Layers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Effective water management is critical for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance.
• Conventional catalyst layers (CL) and cathode microporous layers (MPL) can impede water transport, leading to performance degradation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of perforating the CL and cathode MPL on water management and PEMFC performance.
• To understand how engineered perforations affect liquid water distribution under various operating conditions.

Main Methods:

• An experimental in situ study using high-resolution neutron tomography.
• Fabrication of perforated CL and MPL structures using polymeric pore formers.
• Analysis of liquid water content and distribution within cell components.

Main Results:

• Perforated layers significantly enhanced liquid water transport under channel regions, especially at humid conditions.
• Cells with perforated layers exhibited improved performance at high current densities compared to baseline cells.
• Reduced mass transport losses were identified as the primary reason for performance improvement.

Conclusions:

• Perforation of CL and MPL is a viable strategy to optimize water management in PEMFCs.
• Engineered perforations can mitigate performance limitations caused by water flooding.
• This approach offers a promising avenue for enhancing the efficiency and durability of PEMFCs.