Liquid water transport between graphite paper and a solid surface
We studied the interaction of a water droplet with a solid wall on a hydrophobic gas diffusion layer (GDL). Of particular interest is the stability of the droplet as a function of plate wetting properties and the potential for liquid entrapment in the GDL/land contact area. Such transport is of rele...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Journal of power sources 2008-12, Vol.185 (2), p.1147-1153 |
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Hauptverfasser: | , , , |
Format: | Artikel |
Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | We studied the interaction of a water droplet with a solid wall on a hydrophobic gas diffusion layer (GDL). Of particular interest is the stability of the droplet as a function of plate wetting properties and the potential for liquid entrapment in the GDL/land contact area. Such transport is of relevance to breakthrough dynamics and convective liquid droplet transport in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell cathode gas channels. While a variety of complex coupled transport phenomena are present in the PEM fuel cell gas channel, we utilize a very simplified experimental model of the system where a droplet originally placed on a hydrophobic GDL is translated quasistatically across the GDL surface by a solid surface. Transport and entrapment are imaged using fluorescence microscopy. This work provides new insights into droplet behaviour at the GDL/land interface in a PEM fuel cell and suggests that hydrophobic land areas are preferable for mitigating the accumulation of liquid water under the land area of the gas flow channels. |
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ISSN: | 0378-7753 1873-2755 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2008.07.031 |