Model‐Based Ex Situ Diagnostics of Water Fluxes in Catalyst Layers of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Abstract

AbstractThe ability to predict the electrochemical performance of the cathode catalyst layer in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell hinges on a precise knowledge of water distribution and fluxes. Water transport mechanisms that must be accounted for include vapor diffusion, liquid water permeation and vaporization exchange. In order to facilitate experimental efforts to this effect, we propose an ex situ model of water fluxes in catalyst layers. The model formulation is similar to transmission line models that are widely used in the analysis of electrochemical impedance spectra of porous composite electrodes. Focusing in this article on steady state and isothermal conditions, we rationalize the response function between defined environmental conditions, i.e. gas pressures, partial vapor pressures and temperature, which are defined at the boundaries of the catalyst layer, and the net water flux. This response function provides diagnostic capabilities to isolate and extract water transport parameters of catalyst layers from measurements of water fluxes through membrane electrode assemblies or half cell systems. An important asset of the model is the ability to analyze catalyst layer transport properties under partial saturation.