Consideration of the Role of Micro-Porous Layer on Liquid Water Distribution in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Evidence of a region of gradual property change between the micro-porous layer and the macroporous layer of bilayer diffusion media is presented, and a mathematical model describing the effects of this gradual interfacial region is developed. The model results in a continuous liquid water saturation distribution across the diffusion media compared to the sharp discontinuity in the liquid phase saturation predicted by the earlier sudden interface models. High-resolution neutron radiography is used to measure the water content profile across the diffusion media, and the results are compared with the model predictions. The effect of the geometric blur, and uncertainty in-neutron radiography, is accounted for by applying the effects of geometric blur to model results. When the blur is considered, the neutron radiography results are found to be very similar to model predictions. (C) 2010 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3525626] All rights reserved.