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Conduction mechanism analysis and modeling of different gas diffusion layers for PEMFC to improve their bulk conductivities via microstructure design

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  • Ye, Lingfeng
  • Qiu, Diankai
  • Peng, Linfa
  • Lai, Xinmin

Abstract

Increasing the conductivity of gas diffusion layers (GDLs) is an important way to improve the output performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, the complex porous fiber structures of GDLs significantly enhances the difficulty of quantitatively altering their conductivity which is determined by the carbon fibers and the conduction characteristics between fibers. In addition, the microstructures of various types of GDLs are different. Thus, it is a considerable challenge to explore the conductive mechanisms of these porous materials and optimize their structures to reduce their bulk resistances. In this work, a mathematical graph theory model that applies to the through-plane (T-P) bulk resistance prediction of two types of commonly used GDLs, carbon paper and carbon felt, is established to explain their different micro conduction mechanisms in depth. In addition to the number of fiber contact points, their distribution, as well as the resistance of the carbon fibers, are all important factors affecting the T-P conductivity. Optimizing fiber density and fiber diameter can significantly improve the T-P conductivity of carbon paper. In comparison, making the structure of carbon felt more compact so that the distribution of its contact points in the T-P direction can be more uniform will be more effective for the reduction of its T-P bulk resistance. Meanwhile, the T-P bulk resistance of carbon paper can also be effectively improved by optimizing the content and distribution of the binders. A method to decline the bulk resistance of carbon paper by aggregating the binders in the in-plane (IP) direction is proposed. The simulation results show that it can reduce the T-P bulk resistance of carbon paper by about 19.9% at a compressive stress of 1.5 MPa. This study provides further guidance for optimizing the structural designs of GDLs to optimize their conduction performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Ye, Lingfeng & Qiu, Diankai & Peng, Linfa & Lai, Xinmin, 2024. "Conduction mechanism analysis and modeling of different gas diffusion layers for PEMFC to improve their bulk conductivities via microstructure design," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 362(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:362:y:2024:i:c:s0306261924003702
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.122987
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Qiu, Diankai & Janßen, Holger & Peng, Linfa & Irmscher, Philipp & Lai, Xinmin & Lehnert, Werner, 2018. "Electrical resistance and microstructure of typical gas diffusion layers for proton exchange membrane fuel cell under compression," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C), pages 127-137.
    2. Ye, Lingfeng & Qiu, Diankai & Peng, Linfa & Lai, Xinmin, 2022. "Microstructures and electrical conductivity properties of compressed gas diffusion layers using X-ray tomography," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 326(C).
    3. Ismail, M.S. & Hughes, K.J. & Ingham, D.B. & Ma, L. & Pourkashanian, M., 2012. "Effects of anisotropic permeability and electrical conductivity of gas diffusion layers on the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 50-63.
    4. Yan, Xiaohui & Lin, Chen & Zheng, Zhifeng & Chen, Junren & Wei, Guanghua & Zhang, Junliang, 2020. "Effect of clamping pressure on liquid-cooled PEMFC stack performance considering inhomogeneous gas diffusion layer compression," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    5. Kui Jiao & Jin Xuan & Qing Du & Zhiming Bao & Biao Xie & Bowen Wang & Yan Zhao & Linhao Fan & Huizhi Wang & Zhongjun Hou & Sen Huo & Nigel P. Brandon & Yan Yin & Michael D. Guiver, 2021. "Designing the next generation of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells," Nature, Nature, vol. 595(7867), pages 361-369, July.
    6. Meidanshahi, Vida & Karimi, Gholamreza, 2012. "Dynamic modeling, optimization and control of power density in a PEM fuel cell," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 98-105.
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    1. Margherita Bulgarini & Augusto Della Torre & Andrea Baricci & Amedeo Grimaldi & Luca Marocco & Riccardo Mereu & Gianluca Montenegro & Angelo Onorati, 2024. "Computational Fluid Dynamic Investigation of Local Flow-Field Conditions in Lab Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells to Identify Degradation Stressors and Performance Enhancers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-27, July.

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