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Effect of In-Pore Wettability on Mass Transfer Performance of Fuel Cell Gas Diffusion Layer

Author

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  • Qinchuan Niu

    (School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002, China
    School of Information and Electromechanical Engineering, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 350900, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Minglin Li

    (School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Lianfeng Lai

    (School of Information and Electromechanical Engineering, Ningde Normal University, Ningde 350900, China)

Abstract

The gas diffusion layer (GDL), as the main mass transfer carrier in a hydrogen fuel cell, transports fuel and discharges water, the only by-product of the electrochemical reaction. The dispersion process of water in the pore will hinder the diffusion of gas, thus reducing the concentration of fuel gas at the catalytic site, resulting in the decrease of the electrochemical reaction rate. In this paper, the effect of wettability in the GDL hole on the water transport process is studied. When the pore wall is hydrophilic, the liquid phase is affected by the gas phase eddy current velocity field, and the particles at the center advance to the edge, forming a liquid phase interface with a thin center and thick edge. With the increase of the wall contact angle, the curvature of the three-phase interface increases, the wall adhesion decreases, and the liquid phase is more likely to be discharged. When the contact angle is 130°, the liquid phase almost does not shift in the hole with a radius of 5 μm. With the increase of the radius or inlet pressure difference, the liquid phase is discharged gradually, and the discharge rate of the liquid phase is only related to the wettability of the wall.

Suggested Citation

  • Qinchuan Niu & Minglin Li & Lianfeng Lai, 2022. "Effect of In-Pore Wettability on Mass Transfer Performance of Fuel Cell Gas Diffusion Layer," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-12, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:10:p:3474-:d:812029
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mengbo Ji & Zidong Wei, 2009. "A Review of Water Management in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells," Energies, MDPI, vol. 2(4), pages 1-50, November.
    2. Mengying Fan & Fengyun Duan & Tianqi Wang & Mingming Kang & Bin Zeng & Jian Xu & Ryan Anderson & Wei Du & Lifeng Zhang, 2021. "Effect of Pore Shape and Spacing on Water Droplet Dynamics in Flow Channels of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, February.
    3. Robert Alink & Dietmar Gerteisen, 2013. "Modeling the Liquid Water Transport in the Gas Diffusion Layer for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells Using a Water Path Network," Energies, MDPI, vol. 6(9), pages 1-23, September.
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