Insights into the rapid two-phase transport dynamics in different structured porous transport layers of water electrolyzers through high-speed visualization

Wang, Weitian; Yu, Shule; Li, Kui; Ding, Lei; Xie, Zhiqiang; Li, Yifan; Yang, Gaoqiang; Cullen, David A.; Yu, Haoran; Kang, Zhenye; Wrubel, Jacob A.; Ma, Zhiwen; Bender, Guido; Capuano, Christopher B.; Keane, Alex; Zhang, Feng-Yuan

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2021.230641

Title: Insights into the rapid two-phase transport dynamics in different structured porous transport layers of water electrolyzers through high-speed visualization

Journal Article · Mon Oct 25 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Journal of Power Sources

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2021.230641· OSTI ID:1867591

^[1];

^[1]; Ding, Lei ^[1]; Xie, Zhiqiang ^[1]; Li, Yifan ^[1]; Yang, Gaoqiang ^[1];

^[2];

^[3];

^[3]; Bender, Guido ^[3]; Capuano, Christopher B. ^[4]; Keane, Alex ^[4];

^[1]

Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Nel Hydrogen, Wallingford, CT (United States)

In proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells (PEMECs), maintaining efficient two-phase transport is one of the most important functions of porous transport layers (PTLs). To enhance the two-phase transport in PTLs, thin/titanium liquid/gas diffusion layers (TT-LGDLs) are introduced in PEMECs, and their difference from the conventional Ti felt PTLs are analyzed in-situ through high-speed and microscale visualization and electrochemical characterizations. The visualization results show that unfavorable large slugs can be greatly reduced in the PEMEC with a TT-LGDL compared to the PEMEC with a Ti felt PTL. More importantly, the recovery capability of water starvation with different PTLs is studied. After water starvation, the PEMEC with the TT-LGDL can recover the water starvation much more rapidly than the Ti felt cell, benefiting from its short and straight-through flow paths. Furthermore, the TT-LGDL tends to generate oxygen bubbles that are almost six times smaller and 236 times more frequently than the Ti felt PTL, indicating significantly boosted removal efficiency of produced oxygen and PEMEC performance. Finally, this study offers new insights into the dynamic processes of two-phase transport and the recovery capability of water starvation for different PTLs, which will provide valuable guidance for further optimization of PTLs and performance enhancement of PEMECs.

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Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Fuel Cell Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain. Fuel Cycle Research and Development Program

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308; EE0008426; EE0008423; AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 1867591

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1831603

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5900-82895; MainId:83668; UUID:f6a8af58-c129-467a-81e5-6345af402aa2; MainAdminID:64499

Journal Information:: Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 516; ISSN 0378-7753

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: Insights into the rapid two-phase transport dynamics in different structured porous transport layers of water electrolyzers through high-speed visualization

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