High-consistency proton exchange membrane fuel cells enabled by oxygen-electron mixed-pathway electrodes via digitalization design  

作　　者：Zhiming Bao Biao Xie Weizhuo Li Shenghui Zhong Linhao Fan Chasen Tongsh Fei Gao Qing Du Mohamed Benbouzid Kui Jiao 

机构地区：[1]State Key Laboratory of Engines,Tianjin University,Tianjin 300350,China [2]INSA Rennes,Rennes 35700,France [3]Beihang Hangzhou Innovation Institute Yuhang,Hangzhou 310023,China [4]FEMTO-ST Institute,University of Technology of Belfort-Montbeliard,National Center for Scientific Research,Belfort F-90010,France [5]UMR 6027 IRDL,Brest University,National Center for Scientific Research,Brest 29238,France [6]Shanghai Marine University,Shanghai 201306,China [7]National Industry-Education Platform of Energy Storage,Tianjin University,Tianjin 300350,China

出　　处：《Science Bulletin》2023年第3期266-275,M0003,共11页科学通报（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52176196);the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin(China)for Distinguished Young Scholars(18JCJQJC46700).

摘　　要：Proton exchange membrane(PEM)fuel cell has been regarded as a promising approach to the decarbonization and diversification of energy sources.In recent years,durability and cost issues of PEM fuel cells are increasingly significant with the rapid increase of power density.However,the failure to maintain the cell consistency,as one major cause of the above issue,has attracted little attention.Therefore,this study intends to figure out the underlying cause of cell inconsistency and provide solutions to it from the perspective of multi-physics transport coupled with electrochemical reactions.The PEM fuel cells with electrodes under two compression modes are firstly discussed to fully explain the relationship of cell performance and consistency to electrode structure and multi-physics transport.The result indicates that one main cause of cell inconsistency is the intrinsic conflict between the separated transport and cooperated consumption of oxygen and electron throughout the active area.Then,a mixed-pathway electrode design is proposed to reduce the cell inconsistency by enhancing the mixed transport of oxygen and electron in the electrode.It is found that the mixing of pathways in electrodes at under-rib region is more effective than that at the under-channel region,and can achieve an up to 40%reduction of the cell inconsistency with little(3.3%)sacrificed performance.In addition,all the investigations are implemented based on a self-developed digitalization platform that reconstructs the complex physical–chemical system of PEM fuel cells.The fully observable physical information of the digitalized cells provides strong support to the related analysis.

关 键 词：Proton exchange membrane fuel cell DIGITALIZATION Electrode Multi-physics transport Mixed pathways 

分 类 号：TM911.4[电气工程—电力电子与电力传动]