Investigation of water transport dynamics in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells based on high porous micro porous layers

In this study, synchrotron X-ray imaging is used to investigate the water transport inside newly developed GDM (gas diffusion medium) in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Two different measurement techniques, namely in-situ radiography and quasi-in-situ tomography were combined to reveal the relationship between the structure of the MPL (microporous layer), the operation temperature and the water flow. The newly developed MPL is equipped with randomly arranged holes. It was found that these holes strongly influence the overall water transport in the whole adjacent GDM. The holes act as nuclei for water transport paths through the GDM. In the future, such tailored GDMs could be used to optimize the efficiency and operating conditions of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.