Effects of Channel Hydrophilization and Electrode Perforation at Cathode on Liquid Water Removal and Performance Characteristics of PEFC

Abstract

To alleviate water flooding in the cathode electrode of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs), it is necessary to design the optimum cell structure for enhancing liquid water removal from the gas diffusion electrode (GDE). In this study, we focused on the novel combinational structure with the hydrophilized cathode channel wall and the perforated porous electrode for controlling water behavior, and investigated the impact of this electrode/channel structure on the liquid water transport in a PEFC using X-ray imaging. Furthermore, the effect of the above cell structure on the performance characteristics of the cell were evaluated during the constant-current operation test.