In this work, the anode catalyst surface has been described as a smooth, planar and horizontal plane. The PTL pores are described as identical straight hydrophilic cylinders with 1-mm height. Such a structure resembles tunable PTL structures such as those synthesized by Kang et al. [3]. Stable O2 bubble nuclei form mainly at the intersection of the anode catalyst layer and the PTL pore wall [3,4].
Our modeling results show the effects of three different types of bubbles in a PEMWE cell: i) nucleation-driven, ii) drag-driven, and iii) buoyancy-driven bubbles. Figure 1 shows the relative lifetime and overpotential effects of the O2 bubbles in a PEMWE with a PTL consisting of 11 μm dia. pores operated at a fixed temperature of 80°C and a balanced pressure of 1 bar [5]. Comparing the current density fluctuations in chronoamperometry experiments with the bubble detachment frequencies obtained through modeling provides a distribution of different types of bubbles in the electrolysis cell. These frequencies vary according to the PTL structure and the PEMWE cell operating conditions. Understanding of bubble growth and detachment mechanisms are of significant importance for reduction of mass transport-related losses and enhancement of PEMWE performance.
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