Interplay between PEMFC Performance, Gas Diffusion Electrode Structure and Mass Transport Properties
Abstract
Due to substantial research and development in the last two decades, energy conversion systems based on proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology are emerging to the market. However, cost of the fuel cells is still high compared to the conventional energy generating systems like internal combustion engines. A decrease in Pt loading is a vital requirement for cost reduction and commercialization of the fuel cell technology. Operation of low-Pt PEMFCs showed that fuel cell performance is declining with a decrease in Pt loading and the voltage drop becomes very significant at high current density due to increasing mass transfer losses [1]. Thus, it is critical to understand this voltage loss phenomenon and mitigate it. Previously we developed a method for determining the oxygen mass transfer coefficient which is based on measurements of limiting current distributions using O2 mixtures with different diluents (from He to C3H8) [2]. In this work we studied effects of gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) composition and structure such as cathode catalyst and microporous layer (MPL) loadings on oxygen mass transport and PEMFC performance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 23, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.1149/ma2020-02332148mtgabs
Entities
People
- Bonnie L Benn
- Tatyana V. Reshetenko