Enhancing oxygen distribution in proton exchange membrane fuel cells based on modified gas diffusion layer designs: a comparative study

Abstract

This study analyzes new artificial changes in innovative gas diffusion layers (GDLs) to maximize the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Specifically, a new perforated grooved uniform gas diffusion layer (PG-GDL) is used to improve the water drainage and oxygen transport using three-dimensional modeling and simulations of a single-channel PEMFC. Comparative analyses are performed between the different perforated GDLs and the conventional GDLs using groove depth inside a PG-GDL. Findings show that the uniform grooved shape in the PG-GDL produces a more uniform oxygen flow and distribution with an overall improvement in the PEMFC performance. Our study shows that the appropriate GDL design should be obtained to optimize the PEMFC performance.