{"title":"Segmented distribution of gas diffusion layer porosity and catalyst layer ionomer content in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.cherd.2024.08.014","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Gas diffusion layer porosity and ionomer content inside catalyst layer both can affect cell performance. Electrochemical reaction rate is non-uniform inside the cell. Non-uniform design of components or structures can improve the electrochemical reaction rate distribution and thus promote cell performance. Thus, the investigations on the optimal distribution are done using the optimization solver within COMSOL Multiphysics 5.3a to seek the optimal segmented distribution of porosity or ionomer content to obtain higher current density. The distributions in cathode side along three directions are all investigated. The optimized results show that the porosity increases along main gas flow direction and the ionomer content reduces. With voltage decreasing, the value of porosity around outlet region reduces and the value around outlet region increases, ionomer content shows opposite trend. The porosity under gas channel is higher than that under land. Ionomer content increases under land and reduces under gas channel with voltage decreasing. The porosity is high near catalyst layer and ionomer content near proton exchange membrane is higher at low voltages. The ionomer content distribution along thickness direction can improve current density by 5.596 % at 0.2 V. For better overall cell performance, the porosity changing along x-axis can be selected, the values from under land to under gas channel are 0.384, 0.499, 0.618. These results can provide theoretical guidance for cell components design to obtain higher cell output performance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":10019,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Research & Design","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Chemical Engineering Research & Design","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0263876224004921","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Gas diffusion layer porosity and ionomer content inside catalyst layer both can affect cell performance. Electrochemical reaction rate is non-uniform inside the cell. Non-uniform design of components or structures can improve the electrochemical reaction rate distribution and thus promote cell performance. Thus, the investigations on the optimal distribution are done using the optimization solver within COMSOL Multiphysics 5.3a to seek the optimal segmented distribution of porosity or ionomer content to obtain higher current density. The distributions in cathode side along three directions are all investigated. The optimized results show that the porosity increases along main gas flow direction and the ionomer content reduces. With voltage decreasing, the value of porosity around outlet region reduces and the value around outlet region increases, ionomer content shows opposite trend. The porosity under gas channel is higher than that under land. Ionomer content increases under land and reduces under gas channel with voltage decreasing. The porosity is high near catalyst layer and ionomer content near proton exchange membrane is higher at low voltages. The ionomer content distribution along thickness direction can improve current density by 5.596 % at 0.2 V. For better overall cell performance, the porosity changing along x-axis can be selected, the values from under land to under gas channel are 0.384, 0.499, 0.618. These results can provide theoretical guidance for cell components design to obtain higher cell output performance.
期刊介绍:
ChERD aims to be the principal international journal for publication of high quality, original papers in chemical engineering.
Papers showing how research results can be used in chemical engineering design, and accounts of experimental or theoretical research work bringing new perspectives to established principles, highlighting unsolved problems or indicating directions for future research, are particularly welcome. Contributions that deal with new developments in plant or processes and that can be given quantitative expression are encouraged. The journal is especially interested in papers that extend the boundaries of traditional chemical engineering.