The impacts of microporous layer degradation on liquid water distributions in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells using synchrotron imaging

Liu H, George MG, Zeis R, Messerschmidt M, Scholta J, Bazylak A (2017)

Publication Type: Conference contribution

Publication year: 2017

Journal

ECS Transactions Electrochemical Society

Publisher: Electrochemical Society Inc.

Book Volume: 80

Pages Range: 155-164

Conference Proceedings Title: ECS Transactions

Event location: National Harbor, MD, USA

ISBN: 9781607688259

DOI: 10.1149/08008.0155ecst

Abstract

In this work, commercial gas diffusion layers (GDLs) both with and without microporous layers (MPLs) were degraded through an accelerated degradation process. Pristine and degraded GDLs were each assembled in a customized fuel cell to investigate MPL degradation impacts on the distribution of liquid water via synchrotron X-ray radiography. The presence of an MPL reduced the liquid water accumulation within the GDL, which provided benefits for the performance of the fuel cell. However, the MPL was more strongly affected by the degradation process compared to the carbon fiber substrate, leading to an increased mass transport resistance and a notable performance degradation. In the degraded GDL with an MPL, higher quantities of liquid water accumulated within the GDL, as well as at the catalyst layer/MPL, MPL/carbon fiber substrate, and GDL/flow field interfaces.

Authors with CRIS profile

Roswitha Zeis

Involved external institutions

University of Toronto CA Canada (CA) Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung (ZSW) DE Germany (DE) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Liu, H., George, M.G., Zeis, R., Messerschmidt, M., Scholta, J., & Bazylak, A. (2017). The impacts of microporous layer degradation on liquid water distributions in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells using synchrotron imaging. In D. J. Jones, F. Buechi, K. E. Swider-Lyons, P. N. Pintauro, H. Uchida, T. J. Schmidt, B. S. Pivovar, H. A. Gasteiger, A. Z. Weber, P. A. Shirvanian, J. M. Fenton, T. F. Fuller, K. Shinohara, K. A. Perry, P. Strasser, C. Coutanceau, S. Mitsushima, R. A. Mantz, S. Narayan, V. Ramani, K. E. Ayers, Y.-T. Kim, H. Xu (Eds.), ECS Transactions (pp. 155-164). National Harbor, MD, USA: Electrochemical Society Inc..

MLA:

Liu, H., et al. "The impacts of microporous layer degradation on liquid water distributions in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells using synchrotron imaging." Proceedings of the Symposium on Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells 17, PEFC 2017 - 232nd ECS Meeting, National Harbor, MD, USA Ed. D. J. Jones, F. Buechi, K. E. Swider-Lyons, P. N. Pintauro, H. Uchida, T. J. Schmidt, B. S. Pivovar, H. A. Gasteiger, A. Z. Weber, P. A. Shirvanian, J. M. Fenton, T. F. Fuller, K. Shinohara, K. A. Perry, P. Strasser, C. Coutanceau, S. Mitsushima, R. A. Mantz, S. Narayan, V. Ramani, K. E. Ayers, Y.-T. Kim, H. Xu, Electrochemical Society Inc., 2017. 155-164.

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