Affiliation:
1. MPA‐11 Material Physics and Application Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos 87545 USA
2. Center for Clean Energy Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Connecticut Storrs CT 06269 USA
3. Physical Measurement Laboratory National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg MD 20899 USA
Abstract
AbstractThis work presents a novel porous transport layer (PTL), the hydrochannel PTL, that enables improved water management and record high round trip efficiency in unitized reversible fuel cells (URFCs). URFCs require rapid transport of O2 and H2O to provide high performance in both fuel cell and water electrolyzer operation, but cell design is complicated by conflicting water management requirements: electrolyzers perform best with high liquid water saturation, whereas fuel cells perform best when liquid water saturation is as low as possible while still maintaining effective ionomer hydration. The hydrochannel PTL circumvents this obstacle by providing hydrophilic channels for water transport through an otherwise hydrophobic PTL, enabling optimal performance in both fuel cell and water electrolyzer modes. Neutron radiography measurements of water content in both operating modes confirm that the hydrochannel PTL enables high performance due to its improved water management capabilities.
Funder
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office
Los Alamos National Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Subject
General Materials Science,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Cited by
6 articles.
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