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Investigation of Water Transport Dynamics in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells Based on a Gas Diffusion Media Layers

Year: 2020 Volume: 14 Issue: 3 86 - 90 Pages

• Authors:
• Saad S. Alrwashdeh
• Henning Markötter
• Handri Ammari
• Jan Haußmann
• Tobias Arlt
• Joachim Scholta
• Ingo Manke

Abstract: In this investigation, synchrotron X-ray imaging is used to study water transport inside polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Two measurement techniques are used, namely in-situ radiography and quasi-in-situ tomography combining together in order to reveal the relationship between the structures of the microporous layers (MPLs) and the gas diffusion layers (GDLs), the operation temperature and the water flow. The developed cell is equipped with a thick GDL and a high back pressure MPL. It is found that these modifications strongly influence the overall water transport in the whole adjacent GDM.

• Keywords:
• Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell
• microporous layer
• water transport
• radiography
• tomography.

An Investigation of a Three-Dimensional Constitutive Model of Gas Diffusion Layers in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Year: 2018 Volume: 12 Issue: 12 891 - 897 Pages

• Authors:
• Yanqin Chen
• Chao Jiang
• Chongdu Cho

Abstract: This research presents the three-dimensional mechanical characteristics of a commercial gas diffusion layer by experiment and simulation results. Although the mechanical performance of gas diffusion layers has attracted much attention, its reliability and accuracy are still a major challenge. With the help of simulation analysis methods, it is beneficial to the gas diffusion layer’s extensive commercial development and the overall stress analysis of proton electrolyte membrane fuel cells during its pre-production design period. Therefore, in this paper, a three-dimensional constitutive model of a commercial gas diffusion layer, including its material stiffness matrix parameters, is developed and coded, in the user-defined material model of a commercial finite element method software for simulation. Then, the model is validated by comparing experimental results as well as simulation outcomes. As a result, both the experimental data and simulation results show a good agreement with each other, with high accuracy.

• Keywords:
• Gas diffusion layer
• proton electrolyte membrane fuel cell
• stiffness matrix
• three-dimensional mechanical characteristics
• user-defined material model.

Experimental Investigation of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Operated with Nanofiber and Nanofiber/Nanoparticle

Year: 2015 Volume: 9 Issue: 12 1484 - 1488 Pages

• Authors:
• Kevser Dincer
• Basma Waisi
• M. Ozan Ozdemir
• Ugur Pasaogullari
• Jeffrey McCutcheon

Abstract: Nanofibers are defined as fibers with diameters less than 100 nanometers. In this study, behaviours of activated carbon nanofiber (ACNF), carbon nanofiber (CNF), polyacrylonitrile/ carbon nanotube (PAN/CNT), polyvinyl alcohol/nanosilver (PVA/Ag) in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are investigated experimentally. This material was used as gas diffusion layer (GDL) in PEM fuel cells. In this study, the electrical conductivities of nanofiber and nanofiber/nanoparticles have been studied to understand their effects on PEM fuel cell performance. According to the experimental results, the maximum electrical conductivity performance of the fuel cell with nanofiber was found to be at PVA/Ag (at UConn condition). The electrical conductivities of CNF, ACNF, PAN/CNT are lower for PEM. The resistance of cell with PVA/Ag is lower than the resistance of cell with PAN/CNT, ACNF, CNF.

• Keywords:
• Proton exchange membrane fuel cells
• electrospinning
• carbon nanofiber
• activate carbon nanofiber
• PVA fiber
• pan fiber
• carbon nanotube
• nanoparticle
• nanocomposites.