Impact of Porous Transport Layer Microstructure on Oxygen Transport in a PEM Electrolyzer

Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzers are promising technologies for decarbonizing energy systems through the production of renewable hydrogen. However, the performance and cost of PEM electrolyzers need to be improved and further efforts are required. A critical component affecting PEM performance is the porous transport layer (PTL), which plays an important role in the transport of species between channels and active sites for the electrochemical reaction. This work aims to evaluate the influence of PTL microstructure on pressure losses and oxygen distribution using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Both uniform porosity and gradient porosity are considered for the PTL. The CFD results will guide the next work on additive manufacturing via 3D printing.