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Patterned hydrophobic gas diffusion layers for enhanced water management in polymer electrolyte fuel cells     
Yazarlar
Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Enes Muhammet CAN
Kırşehir Ahi Evran Üniversitesi, Türkiye
Özet
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.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Fuel cell performance | Gas diffusion layer | Patterned hydrophobicity | Polymer electrolyte fuel cells | PTFE | Water management
Makale Türü Özgün Makale
Makale Alt Türü SSCI, AHCI, SCI, SCI-Exp dergilerinde yayımlanan tam makale
Dergi Adı Chemical Engineering Journal
Dergi ISSN 1385-8947
Dergi Tarandığı Indeksler SCI-Expanded
Dergi Grubu Q1
Makale Dili İngilizce
Basım Tarihi 03-2024
Cilt No 484
Doi Numarası 10.1016/j.cej.2024.149711
Makale Linki http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.149711