Abstract
Water management in a cathode electrode of polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) is essential for high performance operation. When the open pores inside the GDL are filled with liquid water, oxygen cannot be sufficiently supplied to reaction sites. This phenomenon known as 'water flooding' is critical to achieve high power density. In this study, we experimentally and quantitatively investigate water accumulation inside a cathode electrode of PEFC, and show the effect of it on the characteristic of cell voltage. It was found that the voltage drop due to water flooding is greatly affected by current density and oxygen partial pressure.
