Mitigation of Water Management in PEM Fuel Cell Cathodes by Hydrophilic Wicking Microporous Layers

Ruediger Schweiss (1) , Marcus Steeb (1) , Peter M. Wilde (1)

1 SGL Technologies GmbH

This study introduces a novel strategy for enhancing the performance of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells at high current densities by means of an advanced gas diffusion layer design. The incorporation of hydrophilic wicking agents into microporous layers of the cathode gas diffusion layer improves water management, thus increasing the maximum power density of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells. Ex-situ measurements with respect to water and vapour transport, and electrochemical polarisation data provide evidence suggesting that the beneficial effect has to be attributed to enhanced liquid water removal through the microporous layer.

Mots clés: Physical Sciences

Ruediger Schweiss, Marcus Steeb, Peter M. Wilde. Mitigation of Water Management in PEM Fuel Cell Cathodes by Hydrophilic Wicking Microporous Layers. Fuel Cells, 2010, 10 (6), pp.1176. ⟨10.1002/fuce.201000003⟩. ⟨hal-00576975⟩