The objective of this study is to combine recent advancements in 3-D microstructure quantification and pore-scale analysis to determine the two-phase transport behavior and key structural properties of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). The microstructure of a commercial GDL sample was captured in 3-D using x-ray computed tomography (XCT) and segmented into void and fiber phases. The 3-D reconstruction of the GDL was then analyzed using in-house microstructure algorithms to determine key structural properties, including the porosity, pore connectivity, tortuosity, structural diffusivity coefficient, chord length distribution, and internal surface area. Additionally, a full morphology model was applied to the full 3-D dataset to determine the capillary pressure-saturation relations. The permeability and effective diffusivity coefficients are also estimated for the GDL dataset. The GDL sample was found to have very high pore connectivity, relatively low tortuosity, and more favorable transport in the through-plane direction.

Advanced microstructural analysis tools to quantify two-phase transport in gas diffusion layers of polymer electrolyte fuel cells

244th National Meeting (2012)

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