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Title: Mass transport in gas-diffusion electrodes: A diagnostic tool for fuel-cell cathodes

Abstract

Two mathematical models of gas-diffusion electrodes, one for liquid electrolytes and one for ion-exchange polymer electrolytes, are presented to investigate the effects of mass-transport limitations on the polarization characteristics of a reaction obeying Tafel kinetics. The focus is on low-temperature fuel-cell cathodes, and in particular, contrasting two limiting cases that may be encountered at high current densities: control by kinetics and dissolved oxygen mass transport vs. control by kinetics and ionic mass transport. It is shown that two distinct double Tafel slopes may arise from these two limiting cases. The former is first order, and the latter is half-order with respect to oxygen concentration. How the modeling results may be applied to diagnose the performance of fuel-cell cathodes is also presented. Since the ionic-mass-transport-limited case has generally been neglected in previous gas-diffusion electrode models, specific examples of fuel-cell cathode data from the literature which display the behavior predicted by the models in this case are given and briefly discussed.

Authors:
; ;  [1]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States). Energy and Environment Div.
Publication Date:
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
599631
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-76SF00098
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of the Electrochemical Society
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 145; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; FUEL CELLS; MASS TRANSFER; DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; CATHODES; OXYGEN; PERFORMANCE; ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLES; POWER DENSITY

Citation Formats

Perry, M L, Newman, J, Cairns, E J, and Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA. Mass transport in gas-diffusion electrodes: A diagnostic tool for fuel-cell cathodes. United States: N. p., 1998. Web. doi:10.1149/1.1838202.
Perry, M L, Newman, J, Cairns, E J, & Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA. Mass transport in gas-diffusion electrodes: A diagnostic tool for fuel-cell cathodes. United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/1.1838202
Perry, M L, Newman, J, Cairns, E J, and Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA. 1998. "Mass transport in gas-diffusion electrodes: A diagnostic tool for fuel-cell cathodes". United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/1.1838202.
@article{osti_599631,
title = {Mass transport in gas-diffusion electrodes: A diagnostic tool for fuel-cell cathodes},
author = {Perry, M L and Newman, J and Cairns, E J and Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA},
abstractNote = {Two mathematical models of gas-diffusion electrodes, one for liquid electrolytes and one for ion-exchange polymer electrolytes, are presented to investigate the effects of mass-transport limitations on the polarization characteristics of a reaction obeying Tafel kinetics. The focus is on low-temperature fuel-cell cathodes, and in particular, contrasting two limiting cases that may be encountered at high current densities: control by kinetics and dissolved oxygen mass transport vs. control by kinetics and ionic mass transport. It is shown that two distinct double Tafel slopes may arise from these two limiting cases. The former is first order, and the latter is half-order with respect to oxygen concentration. How the modeling results may be applied to diagnose the performance of fuel-cell cathodes is also presented. Since the ionic-mass-transport-limited case has generally been neglected in previous gas-diffusion electrode models, specific examples of fuel-cell cathode data from the literature which display the behavior predicted by the models in this case are given and briefly discussed.},
doi = {10.1149/1.1838202},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/599631}, journal = {Journal of the Electrochemical Society},
number = 1,
volume = 145,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998}
}