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Advanced Design Strategy in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells: Micro-channeling Architectures in Carbon
Junghyun Park1, Gyutae Park1, Seonghyeon Yang1
1School of Mechanical Engineering, Soongsil University, 369 Sangdo-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, 06978, Republic of Korea.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|November 10, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a novel carbon nanotube sheet interlayer for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), significantly boosting performance and stability across various humidity levels. The design enhances power density and reduces resistance, improving PEMFC commercial viability.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Conversion
Background:
- Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) face performance challenges due to humidity variations impacting mass transport and water management.
- Conventional bipolar plates can limit efficiency and stability under dynamic operating conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate an alternative PEMFC design using a functional carbon nanotube (CNT) sheet interlayer to replace conventional bipolar plates.
- To investigate the impact of this novel design on PEMFC performance, resistance, and stability across a range of relative humidity (RH) conditions.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of an engraved channel-rib CNT sheet (≈30 µm) via laser processing.
- Integration of the CNT sheet as an interlayer between the gas diffusion layer and catalyst layer in a PEMFC.
- Performance testing of the modified PEMFC across a wide RH range (40-100% RH).
Main Results:
- The CNT sheet interlayer significantly improved PEMFC performance under all tested RH conditions.
- Achieved up to a ≈270% increase in power density compared to the conventional design.
- Demonstrated substantial reductions in charge transfer resistance (≈76.1%) and ohmic resistance (≈27.0%).
- Showcased remarkable stability with an 87.5% reduction in performance variation across the RH range.
Conclusions:
- The proposed CNT sheet interlayer effectively manages reactants and water, enhancing PEMFC performance and stability.
- This innovative design offers a promising solution for mitigating performance fluctuations in varying humidity environments.
- The strategy enhances the commercial viability of PEMFC technology for broader applications.
