Liquid water transport in gas flow channels of PEMFCs: A review on numerical simulations and visualization experiments

Xu, Shengnan; Liao, Peiyi; Yang, Daijun; Li, Zhilong; Li, Bing; Ming, Pingwen; Zhou, Xiangyang

doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.12.140

Cited by 35 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 154 publications

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“…The VOF method is capable of gas/water interface tracking and includes surface tension and wall adhesion effects on the macroscopic scale. 118 Arbabi et al used the VOF method to simulate the gas/water interface movement inside PTL, which agreed well with previous experimental results. 119 The PNM regarded PTL as a network of pores connected by throats, which greatly decreased the computational load due to the discretization of the continuum model, making it a powerful pore-scale simulation tool.…”

Section: Characterization Techniques and Modelingsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…In PEMWE, common modeling methods of two-phase flow involve the volume of fluid (VOF) method, pore network modeling (PNM) and lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The VOF method is capable of gas/water interface tracking and includes surface tension and wall adhesion effects on the macroscopic scale . Arbabi et al used the VOF method to simulate the gas/water interface movement inside PTL, which agreed well with previous experimental results .…”

Section: Current Understandings On Ptl Material Structure and Transpo...supporting

confidence: 69%

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Anode Engineering for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers

Qiu,

Xu,

Chen

et al. 2024

ACS Catal.

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Sustainable hydrogen (H 2 ) production via water electrolysis is one of the most critical pathways to decarbonize the chemical industry. Among various electrolyzer technologies, proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer (PEMWE) is widely regarded as having a great advantage and promise for large-scale H 2 production given its high efficiency, reliable stability, and high output pressure. Though state-of-the-art iridium-based catalysts exhibit satisfying activity and stability for oxygen evolution reaction at the anode, their high loadings, as well as the precious metal coating and titanium bulk of porous transport layer (PTL) and bipolar plates, significantly add to the capital cost of the PEMWE stack. The respective optimization and integration of PTL, catalyst layer (CL) and PEM is critical for enhancing charge transfer, mass transport, and catalyst utilization to lower the operation and capital cost, yet it has not received adequate attention. In this review, anode engineering strategies to rationally design PTL, PTL/CL interface and PEM/CL interface for performance improvement and cost reduction are summarized. Current understandings on PTL material, structure, and two-phase transport properties are first gathered, followed by the discussion of anode interface engineering methods and catalyst coating techniques. Given the raising attention to large-scale water electrolyzers operating at high current densities, this review provides a practical and comprehensive direction for next-generation PEMWE anode design by addressing the integration of key components related to the cost, efficiency and stability issues in PEMWE.

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Section: Characterization Techniques and Modelingsupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Current Understandings On Ptl Material Structure and Transpo...supporting

confidence: 69%

Anode Engineering for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers

Qiu,

Xu,

Chen

et al. 2024

ACS Catal.

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“…5 Therefore, the membrane requires constant hydration to maintain optimal conductivity. 6 However, under sufficient humidification at operating temperatures below 100 °C, the excessive accumulation of liquid water can cause flooding in the gas flow channels (GFCs), 4 degrading the output performance and adversely affecting the supply of reaction gases. 7 Additionally, the anode of a PEMFC is extremely sensitive to gaseous impurities, necessitating highpurity and expensive hydrogen as fuel.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…9 By 2040, with the continuous advancement of membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the maximum operating temperature of fuel cell stacks will be elevated to 120 °C. 4 Increasing the operating temperature offers several benefits for meeting the long endurance requirements of heavy-duty fuel cells. When the operating temperature of the PEMFC exceeds 100 °C, several advantages can be achieved: 10,11 1) the issue of complicated control of "two-phase flow" caused by the coexistence of gas and liquid water can be easily avoided; 2) the higher operating temperature enhances the reaction kinetics of both the anode and cathode electrodes; 3) the tolerance of catalysts to various impurities, such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide, can be enhanced; 4) the thermal management components of the fuel cell system are significantly simplified to cool the stack during sustained high-power operation; and 5) the loading of Pt catalysts in the PEMFC can be reduced, potentially allowing the use of non-Pt catalysts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Theoretical and Experimental Study of a Fuel Cell Stack Based on Perfluoro-sulfonic Acid Membranes Facing High Temperature Application Environments

Lu,

Wu,

Yang

et al. 2024

Energy Fuels

Self Cite

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Elevating the operating temperature of fuel cell stacks based on perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes is crucial for simplifying their cooling system and enhancing power density. In this study, we used a semiempirical model to correct the conductivity of the PFSA membrane at high temperatures and analyzed the impact of elevating the operating temperature and inlet pressure on the output performance, voltage consistency, internal water content, and dynamic response of a 10 kW rated power fuel cell stack. The results show that increasing the operating temperature leads to a significant decrease in the output performance of the stack, resulting in poor voltage consistency, large voltage fluctuations, and overshooting during the dynamic response. To mitigate the impact of higher temperatures on the saturated vapor pressure, increasing the inlet pressure of the stack can effectively improve the output and dynamic performance. Similarly, the net water drag coefficient (α NWD ) can be used to characterize and monitor the water transport process within the fuel cell. Its value is positively correlated to the operating temperature and inlet pressure. Increasing humidity on the cathode side promotes water back-diffusion, thereby improving the high-temperature operation of the stack.

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“…On the other hand, in operating region with limited supply of reactants, fuel shortage may occur, leading to decrease in the fuel cell current density, and water molecules on the surface of the catalytic layer may interact with adsorbate molecules and form larger particles, leading to sintering. [5][6][7][8][9][10] Designing the flow channel structure of the bipolar plate to facilitate the ingress of more reactants into the catalytic layer has emerged as pivotal concern in contemporary times.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Obstacle Geometric Feature in Parallel Flow Field on PEMFC Output Performance

Zhang,

Sui,

Fan

et al. 2024

J. Electrochem. Soc.

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The performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) can be enhanced by introducing barriers in the parallel flow field, which improves reactant transport and induces adequate reaction. In this study, five different shapes of obstacles where introduced in the research which were dispersed and placed in a parallel flow field. The effects of these different shaped obstacles on PEMFC output performance were compared by simulation. When reactants pass through the obstruction, the velocity increases, leading to higher concentration of reactants in the catalytic layer. This results in more a complete reaction and improved performance. The study demonstrates that incorporating 16 uniformly placed obstacles in the sub-flow channel of parallel flow field, with each obstacle being right-angled trapezoid shape and cut-in angle of 30°, measuring 1 mm in length, 0.3 mm in width, and 1 mm in height, resulted in net power density is 0.57 W/m2, an increase of 43% and 16% improvement in water removal capacity compared with the standard technique.

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Liquid water transport in gas flow channels of PEMFCs: A review on numerical simulations and visualization experiments

Cited by 35 publications

References 154 publications

Anode Engineering for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers

Anode Engineering for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers

Theoretical and Experimental Study of a Fuel Cell Stack Based on Perfluoro-sulfonic Acid Membranes Facing High Temperature Application Environments

The Effect of Obstacle Geometric Feature in Parallel Flow Field on PEMFC Output Performance

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