Effect of hydrophobicity and pore geometry in cathode GDL on PEM fuel cell performance

The effect of hydrophobic and structural properties of a single/dual-layer cathode gas diffusion layer on mass transport in PEM fuel cells was studied using an analytical expression. The simulations indicated that liquid water transport at the cathode is controlled by the fraction of hydrophilic surface and the average pore diameter in the cathode gas diffusion layer. Deposition of a hydrophobic microporous layer reduces the average pore diameter in the macroporous substrate. It also increases the hydrophobic surface, which improves the mass transport of the reactant. The optimized hydrophobicity and pore geometry in a dual-layer cathode GDL leads to an effective water management, and enhances the oxygen diffusion kinetics.