Work

Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolysis: Correlating Performance and Porous Transport Layer Structure: Part II. Electrochemical Performance Analysis

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: In the first paper of this series the bulk and surface structural properties of Ti-fiber based porous transport layers (PTL) were characterized and described. In this second part the correlation of structure to the performance in polymer electrolyte water electrolysis cells is analyzed by determination of the three main overpotentials of ohmic, kinetics and mass transport losses. The strongest correlation between the PTL bulk transport properties and cell performance is obtained for heat transport. The current density dependent temperature gradients show good agreement with ex situ determined heat conductivity from part one. However, surface properties of the PTL materials, have a stronger influence on cell performance than the bulk properties. Catalyst layer utilization and ohmic interfacial resistances correlate with the interfacial contact areas reported in part one and performance increases with increasing contact area. This is due to a local mass transport resistance decreasing with increasing catalyst layer utilization.

Source: Journal of The Electrochemical Society

DOI: 10.1149/2.1241908jes

Authors: Tobias Schuler, Thomas J. Schmidt, Felix N. Büchi

Institutions: Paul Scherrer Institute, ETH Zurich, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry

Language: English

Topic: Fuel Cells and Related Materials

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $1,950