Abstract
The gas diffusion layer (GDL) is a critical component of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. GDL manufacture is dominated by the use of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers, resulting in high production costs. Those costs contribute to the high cost of fuel cell stacks. Thus, reducing GDL manufacturing costs without sacrificing performance, should help reduce the overall cost of the fuel cell stack. Using inexpensive, natural fiber-based papers and fabric as substrates, we examine the inherent performance these materials as GDLs, and the improvements enabled by the addition of a microporous layer, gas-phase hydrophobic treatment, and densification. The resulting GDLs achieve equivalent performance the commercial baseline GDL and demonstrate the potential of lower cost GDLs.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 232619 |
Journal | Journal of Power Sources |
Volume | 564 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 30 2023 |
Funding
This research is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, Technical Development Manager: Donna Ho and through the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck Consortium, technology managers Greg Kleen and Dimitrios Papageorgopoulos.
Keywords
- Fuel cell
- Gas diffusion layer
- Gas-phase hydrophobic treatment
- Natural fiber