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Title: Additive manufacturing of liquid/gas diffusion layers for low-cost and high-efficiency hydrogen production

Abstract

In this study, a low-cost additive manufacturing technology, electron beam melting (EBM), is employed for the first time to fabricate titanium liquid/gas diffusion media with high-corrosion resistances and well-controlled multifunctional parameters, including two-phase transport and high electric/thermal conductivities. Its application in proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells (PEMECs) has been investigated in-situ with modular galvano (MG) and galvano electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (GEIS) and characterized ex-situ with SEM and XRD. Compared with conventional woven and sintered liquid/gas diffusion layers (LGDLs), much better performance is obtained with EBM-fabricated LGDLs due to a significant reduction of ohmic losses. The EBM technology components exhibited several distinct advantages in fabricating LGDLs: well-controllable pore morphology and structure, rapid prototyping, fast manufacturing, highly customizable design, and economic. In addition, by taking advantage of additive manufacturing, it is possible to fabricate complicated three-dimensional designs of virtually any shape from a digital model into one single solid object faster, cheaper, and easier, especially for titanium components. More importantly, this development will provide LGDLs with well-controllable pore morphologies, which will be valuable to develop sophisticated models of PEMECs with optimal and repeatable performance. Finally and furthermore, it could lead to a manufacturing solution that greatly simplifies the PEMEC/fuel cell components.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tullahoma, TN (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Advanced Manufacturing Office
OSTI Identifier:
1255656
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1261266; OSTI ID: 1352948
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725; FE0011585
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 41; Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 0360-3199
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; 3D printing; electron beam melting additive manufacturing; proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell; liquid/gas diffusion layers; multifunctional materials; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Mo, Jingke, Zhang, Feng -Yuan, Dehoff, Ryan R., Peter, William H., Toops, Todd J., and Green, Jr., Johney Boyd. Additive manufacturing of liquid/gas diffusion layers for low-cost and high-efficiency hydrogen production. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.12.111.
Mo, Jingke, Zhang, Feng -Yuan, Dehoff, Ryan R., Peter, William H., Toops, Todd J., & Green, Jr., Johney Boyd. Additive manufacturing of liquid/gas diffusion layers for low-cost and high-efficiency hydrogen production. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.12.111
Mo, Jingke, Zhang, Feng -Yuan, Dehoff, Ryan R., Peter, William H., Toops, Todd J., and Green, Jr., Johney Boyd. 2016. "Additive manufacturing of liquid/gas diffusion layers for low-cost and high-efficiency hydrogen production". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.12.111. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1255656.
@article{osti_1255656,
title = {Additive manufacturing of liquid/gas diffusion layers for low-cost and high-efficiency hydrogen production},
author = {Mo, Jingke and Zhang, Feng -Yuan and Dehoff, Ryan R. and Peter, William H. and Toops, Todd J. and Green, Jr., Johney Boyd},
abstractNote = {In this study, a low-cost additive manufacturing technology, electron beam melting (EBM), is employed for the first time to fabricate titanium liquid/gas diffusion media with high-corrosion resistances and well-controlled multifunctional parameters, including two-phase transport and high electric/thermal conductivities. Its application in proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells (PEMECs) has been investigated in-situ with modular galvano (MG) and galvano electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (GEIS) and characterized ex-situ with SEM and XRD. Compared with conventional woven and sintered liquid/gas diffusion layers (LGDLs), much better performance is obtained with EBM-fabricated LGDLs due to a significant reduction of ohmic losses. The EBM technology components exhibited several distinct advantages in fabricating LGDLs: well-controllable pore morphology and structure, rapid prototyping, fast manufacturing, highly customizable design, and economic. In addition, by taking advantage of additive manufacturing, it is possible to fabricate complicated three-dimensional designs of virtually any shape from a digital model into one single solid object faster, cheaper, and easier, especially for titanium components. More importantly, this development will provide LGDLs with well-controllable pore morphologies, which will be valuable to develop sophisticated models of PEMECs with optimal and repeatable performance. Finally and furthermore, it could lead to a manufacturing solution that greatly simplifies the PEMEC/fuel cell components.},
doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.12.111},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1255656}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy},
issn = {0360-3199},
number = 4,
volume = 41,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 14 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Thu Jan 14 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

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Cited by: 57 works
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Works referenced in this record:

Electrochemical investigation of stainless steel corrosion in a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell
journal, September 2015


Investigations on high performance proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer
journal, January 2009


Mask-Patterned Wet Etching of Thin Titanium Liquid/Gas Diffusion Layers for a PEMEC
journal, August 2015


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A novel composite photocatalyst for water splitting hydrogen production
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journal, January 2008


Initial Performance and Durability of Ultra-Low Loaded NSTF Electrodes for PEM Electrolyzers
journal, January 2012


Renewable hydrogen production
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Laser perforated fuel cell diffusion media. Part I: Related changes in performance and water content
journal, July 2011


Oxygen transport resistance correlated to liquid water saturation in the gas diffusion layer of PEM fuel cells
journal, April 2014


Metal foams as flow field and gas diffusion layer in direct methanol fuel cells
journal, February 2007


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conference, January 2010


Thermal effects on microstructural heterogeneity of Inconel 718 materials fabricated by electron beam melting
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Effects of the electrical resistances of the GDL in a PEM fuel cell
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3D printed flow plates for the electrolysis of water: an economic and adaptable approach to device manufacture
journal, January 2014


A two-phase model for studying the role of microporous layer and catalyst layer interface on polymer electrolyte fuel cell performance
journal, July 2013


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Electrochemical performance modeling of a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell for hydrogen energy
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Works referencing / citing this record:

CO 2 -Assisted Regeneration of a Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolyzer Contaminated with Metal Ion Impurities
journal, January 2019


Critical Review—Identifying Critical Gaps for Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolysis Development
journal, January 2017