Investigation of mass transport in gas diffusion layer at the air cathode of a PEMFC

In a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), slow diffusion in the gas diffusion electrode may induce oxygen depletion when using air at the cathode. This work focuses on the behavior of a single PEMFC built with a Nafion ® based MEA and an E-TEK gas diffusion layer and fed at the cathode wi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Electrochimica acta 2005-10, Vol.51 (3), p.474-488
Main Authors: Bultel, Y., Wiezell, K., Jaouen, F., Ozil, P., Lindbergh, G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analytical chemistry
Analytisk kemi
Applied sciences
Chemistry
Electrochemistry
Elektrokemi
Energy
Energy. Thermal use of fuels
Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc
Exact sciences and technology
Fuel cells
Gas diffusion layer
Impedance
Kemi
Mass transport
Modeling
NATURAL SCIENCES
NATURVETENSKAP
PEMFC
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Summary:In a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), slow diffusion in the gas diffusion electrode may induce oxygen depletion when using air at the cathode. This work focuses on the behavior of a single PEMFC built with a Nafion ® based MEA and an E-TEK gas diffusion layer and fed at the cathode with nitrogen containing 5, 10 and 20% of oxygen and working at different cell temperatures and relative humidities. The purpose is to apply the experimental impedance technique to cells wherein transport limitations at the cathode are significant. In parallel, a model is proposed to interpret the polarization curves and the impedance diagrams of a single PEMFC. The model accounts for mass transport through the gas diffusion electrode. It allows us to qualitatively analyze the experimental polarization curves and the corresponding impedance spectra and highlights the intra-electrode processes and the influence of the gas diffusion layer.
ISSN:0013-4686
1873-3859
1873-3859
DOI:10.1016/j.electacta.2005.05.007