Performance enhancement of polymer electrolyte fuel cells by combining liquid removal mechanisms of a gas diffusion layer with wettability distribution and a gas channel with microgrooves

Although polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) are commercially available, there are still many problems that need to be addressed to improve their performance and increase their usage. At a high current density, generated water accumulates in the gas diffusion layer and in the gas channels of the cathode. This excess water obstructs oxygen transport, and as a result, cell performance is greatly reduced. To improve the cell performance, the effective removal of the generated water and the promotion of oxygen diffusion in the gas diffusion layer (GDL) are necessary. In this study, two functions proposed in previous reports were combined and applied to a PEFC: a hybrid GDL to form an oxygen diffusion path using a wettability distribution and a gas separator with microgrooves to enhance liquid removal. For a PEFC with a hybrid GDL and a gas separator with microgrooves, the concentration overvoltage of the PEFC was reduced, and the current density limit and maximum power density were increased compared with a conventional PEFC. Moreover, the stability of the cell voltage was markedly improved.