Characterization of transport properties in gas diffusion layers for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Gurau, Vladimir; Bluemle, Michael J.; Castro, Emory S. De; Tsou, Yu-Min; Mann, J. Adin; Zawodzinski, Thomas A.

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2006.03.016

Cited by 184 publications

(112 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Unfortunately, the rough nature of the GDL surface and its heterogeneity result in a complex relation between the observable external contact angle and the intrinsic contact angle. 32 This will be addressed in detail in the Results and discussion section.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Advanced Water Management in PEFCs: Diffusion Layers with Patterned Wettability

Forner‐Cuenca

Manzi-Orezzoli

Biesdorf

et al. 2016

J. Electrochem. Soc.

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A novel type of fuel cell gas diffusion layer with patterned wettability is herein reported. The production of hydrophilic patterns by radiation grafting depends on two main steps: electron beam activation and polymerization reaction. In this first part of the series, we are giving extensive details about the synthetic routes for modifying porous media's wettability. Two monomers (acrylic acid and N-vinylformamide) were used for the hydrophilization of the fluoropolymer and a parametric study was performed. Finally, a preliminary thermal degradation study was carried out. We found conditions to produce hydrophilic gas diffusion layers with short reaction times (about 10 minutes) and proved that the synthetic method is suitable for creating local modifications. For hydrophilic surfaces, the coating load significantly impacts wetting dynamics.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Advanced Water Management in PEFCs: Diffusion Layers with Patterned Wettability

Forner‐Cuenca

Manzi-Orezzoli

Biesdorf

et al. 2016

J. Electrochem. Soc.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While the previous model depends on fitting the various parameters to tangential data such as overall flow through a DM, it is now possible for the direct measurement of capillary-pressure versus saturation curves using various contact and equilibrium methods [8,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. The proposed procedure is similar to that of Cheung et al [28], although they use a continuous CAD but a discrete PSD.…”

Section: Updated Porous-medium Model and Modeling Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, surface contact angles are not representative of those within the medium since they are dominated by water penetration, roughness, and other surface effects [33,37]. If the detailed geometry and pore space is known including Teflon distribution, one could guess at a CAD;…”

Section: Updated Porous-medium Model and Modeling Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, recently several groups have begun to gain the expertise and apparati to study some of the material properties such as hydrophilic and hydrophobic pore-size distributions (PSDs) and capillary pressure versus saturation curves [8,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. These curves have been measured under a variety of conditions including compression and hydrophobic loading.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Improved modeling and understanding of diffusion-media wettability on polymer-electrolyte-fuel-cell performance

Weber¹

2010

Journal of Power Sources

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A macroscopic-modeling methodology to account for the chemical and structural properties of fuel-cell diffusion media is developed. A previous model is updated to include for the first time the use of experimentally measured capillary pressure -saturation relationships through the introduction of a Gaussian contact-angle distribution into the property equations. The updated model is used to simulate various limiting-case scenarios of water and gas transport in fuel-cell diffusion media. Analysis of these results demonstrate that interfacial conditions are more important than bulk transport in these layers, where the associated mass-transfer resistance is the result of higher capillary pressures at the boundaries and the steepness of the capillary pressuresaturation relationship. The model is also used to examine the impact of a microporous layer, showing that it dominates the response of the overall diffusion medium. In addition, its primary mass-transfer-related effect is suggested to be limiting the water-injection sites into the more porous gas-diffusion layer.

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“…The macroscopic contact angle of water with individual carbon fibers are approximately 90°; the contact angle of water with Teflon is 105°and the contact angle of water with carbon cloth and carbon paper with and without Teflon treatments is >150°. [20,[41][42][43][44][45]. Recent work by Gauthier et al showed that the topological roughness of GDL surfaces greatly increases the hydrophobicity of the surface and can result in dynamic superhydrophobicity.…”

Section: Water Penetration Through the Gdlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Flow in, Through, and Around the Gas Diffusion Layer

et al. 2012

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Liquid water produced in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells is transported from the cathode catalyst/membrane interface through the gas diffusion layer (GDL) to the gas flow channel. Liquid water travels both laterally (in the plane of GDL) and transversely through the largest pores of the porous GDL structure. Narrow apertures in the largest pores are the primary resistance to liquid water penetration. Carbon paper has limiting apertures ∼20 μm in diameter and ∼1 μm in length whereas carbon cloth has apertures ∼100 μm in diameter and ∼200 μm in length. After sufficient hydrostatic pressure is applied, water penetrates the limiting aperture and flows through the pore. The pressure required for water to flow through the pores is less than the pressure to penetrate the limiting aperture of the pores. Water moved laterally and directed through a small number of transverse pores. There is less resistance to lateral liquid water flow at the interface between the GDL and a solid surface than through the GDL. The results from these experiments suggest that water flow through the GDL is dominated by a small number of pores and most pores remain free of liquid water.

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Characterization of transport properties in gas diffusion layers for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Cited by 184 publications

References 4 publications

Advanced Water Management in PEFCs: Diffusion Layers with Patterned Wettability

Advanced Water Management in PEFCs: Diffusion Layers with Patterned Wettability

Improved modeling and understanding of diffusion-media wettability on polymer-electrolyte-fuel-cell performance

Water Flow in, Through, and Around the Gas Diffusion Layer

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