Patterned hydrophobic gas diffusion layers for enhanced water management in polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Calili-Cankir, F.; Can, E. M.; Ingham, D. B.; Hughes, K. J.; Ma, L.; Pourkashanian, M.; Lyth, S. M.; Ismail, M. S.

Abstract

Flooding of the cathode due to water accumulation is one of the biggest limiting factors in the performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). This study therefore attempts to solve this issue by fabricating gas diffusion layers (GDLs) with differently patterned hydrophobic regions. The GDLs in three different patterns (triangular, diamond, and inverted-triangular) were prepared by brushing a Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) solution onto commercial carbon papers through a mask and tested in PEFCs. The patterned GDLs results in superior performance in all cases compared to a uniformly PTFE-treated GDL. Notably, the oxygen transport resistance is significantly reduced, indicating that the water accumulation in the cathode is avoided. This is attributed to the patterned hydrophobicity gradient providing distinct pathways for water and oxygen. The GDL with triangular patterning displays the highest peak power density, due to the fact that the untreated less hydrophobic region is in direct contact with the cathode outlet in this case, facilitating the removal of excess liquid water. Overall, the study confirms that the GDLs with patterned hydrophobicity could be used to enhance the performance of commercial PEFC systems by facilitating water management, potentially leading to improved efficiency and durability.

Citation

Calili-Cankir, F., Can, E. M., Ingham, D. B., Hughes, K. J., Ma, L., Pourkashanian, M., Lyth, S. M., & Ismail, M. S. (2024). Patterned hydrophobic gas diffusion layers for enhanced water management in polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Chemical Engineering Journal, 484, Article 149711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.149711

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 14, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Feb 15, 2024
• Publication Date: Mar 15, 2024
• Deposit Date: Feb 17, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 20, 2024
• Journal: Chemical Engineering Journal
• Print ISSN: 1385-8947
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 484
• Article Number: 149711
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.149711
• Keywords: Polymer electrolyte fuel cells; Gas diffusion layer; Patterned hydrophobicity; Fuel cell performance; PTFE; Water management
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4550776