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The transport behaviour of porous electrodes is fundamental to the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. As a promising clean energy technology, PEM fuel cells rely on porous media to facilitate the electrochemical conversion of hydrogen and oxygen into water, heat, and electricity. This process depends on the effective diffusion of reactants through porous gas diffusion layers (GDLs) to catalytic reaction sites. However, the multilayer structure of the fuel cell introduces significant electrical and thermal interfacial resistance, necessitating mechanical compression to ensure sufficient interfacial contact while still preserving favourable transport characteristics [1]. Although many studies have investigated the dependence of transport properties on compression, most electrochemical characterizations rely on strain-controlled assemblies, where deformation is defined by displacement rather than applied pressure [2]. Therefore, the effects of stress-controlled compression remain poorly understood, emphasizing the need for quantitative microstructural characterization under variable pressure conditions.
In this study, the relationship between stress-controlled compression, transport properties, and pore-scale characteristics of GDLs is investigated using a novel compression device. This device enables simultaneous X-ray transmission imaging while applying a range of industrially relevant compressive stresses to commercial GDL materials. Under applied compression, the three-dimensional GDL microstructures are captured and digitally reconstructed using X-ray computed tomography (CT). Pore network modelling (PNM) is subsequently employed to quantify the resulting transport properties across increasing compression levels [3]. Therefore, this study uses CT imaging and PNM to elucidate the influence of stress-controlled compression on the pore-scale characteristics of PEM fuel cell GDLs. This research will provide valuable insights for the design of industrial PEM fuel cell stacks, progressing the development of clean energy generation.
| References | [1] F. Barbir. Main Cell Components, Materials Properties and Processes. PEM Fuel Cells Theory and Practice; Academic Press, 2005, pp. 93–106 [2] J. Ge, A. Higier, and H. Liu. Effect of gas diffusion layer compression on PEM fuel cell performance. J. Power Sources, 159, 922–927 (2006). [3] J. Gostick et al. OpenPNM: A pore network modeling package. Comput. Sci. Eng., 18, 60–74 (2016). |
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| Country | Canada |
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