2025/01/17 by Ma, Tien-Ching, Hutzler, Andreas, Bensmann, Boris +2
#540 #620 #660 #Anode catalyst layer #Catalysts #Catalysts layers #Complex interface #Electrodes #Layer interfaces #Performance #Phase interfaces #Phase model #Porous transport layers #Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) #Simple++ #Transport layers #Two-phase model
paper · doi:10.15488/18379
The interface design between anode catalyst layer (ACL) and porous transport layer (PTL) significantly influences the performance of proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers. Lately, the influence of the ACL/PTL interface on performance is more intensively investigated, including modeling approaches. Contrary to other models that apply through-plane resolved modeling, in-plane models better characterize the ACL/PTL interface. These models separate the interface into three domains: in an open pore area (P), under a contacted solid of the PTL (S), and the interfacial point between the pore and solid (S│P). In our work, we focused on the behavior of the model in the kinetic region, in which no two-phase behavior is to be expected. Consequently, we apply a one-phase model as the main model and a simple two-phase model for comparison. We find that for most reference samples, the one-phase model well describes polarization behavior. However, for samples with larger interfacial contact area, a two-phase model might explain the found effect better even for very low current densities. Finally, we show that the one-phase model and the simple two-phase model can be used to study the general behavior of different solid to pore ratios to guide electrode development in the future.