Abstract
In this work, we designed sintered titanium powder-based porous transport layers (PTLs) for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers by tailoring the powder diameter and porosity via a new approach. We examined how the PTL powder diameter and porosity influence reactant transport and PTL-catalyst layer (CL) interfacial contact by using a stochastic generation model combined with a pore network model. We enhanced reactant transport by increasing powder diameter and porosity, as shown through increases in single- and two-phase permeabilities of liquid water. Compared to the impact of increasing the powder diameter, increasing the PTL porosity dominated the impact on permeability of liquid water. However, we observed a trade-off to the benefits of increasing the powder diameter such that larger powders led to a higher surface roughness at the PTL-CL interface. From this work, we recommend that the PTL powder diameter and porosity must be strategically selected for the desired target operating conditions of the PEM electrolyzer. We recommend a PTL with d
P
= 25 μm and ε = 26.5% for an electrolyzer cell operating at non-starvation conditions, and a PTL with d
P
= 25 μm and ε = 40.5% for an electrolyzer cell operating at starvation conditions.
Publisher
The Electrochemical Society
Subject
Materials Chemistry,Electrochemistry,Surfaces, Coatings and Films,Condensed Matter Physics,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Cited by
27 articles.
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