Analysis of Cathode Catalyst Layer Structure and Cell Performance in PEFC

For efficient use of Pt catalyst in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEFCs), the effect of the cathode catalyst layer (CL) structure on the I-V characteristics was evaluated by a model analysis, and superior fabrication method was investigated experimentally. The experimental results showed that reducing the hot-pressing pressure and increasing the mixing intensity of the catalyst ink in the fabrication process of the catalyst coated membrane (CCM) improve the cell performance, and the measured pore size distribution (PSD) in the CL indicated the effect of the increase in agglomerate surface area on the performance improvement. In addition, we developed a method for estimating the mean diameter and the dispersion of the agglomerates from the PSD. The effect of the estimated CL structure on the cell performance was also examined by the model analysis for the CCMs fabricated by the different conditions.