Characterization of Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells with catalytic layers of various composition - determination of the cathodic layer limitations

Abstract

The goal of the project was to study the drops in performance on the cathode side of the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell. To do so, PEM fuel cells with different catalytic compositions were planned to be manufactured. As a first step, catalysts were synthesised and characterised. Then, PEM fuel cells were manufactured in order to assess the degree of reproducibility of the fabrication process. The current health crisis prevented to continue the experimental work and to vary the catalyst compositions. As a second step, the project thus aimed at developing a 1D model of the cathode catalytic layer to study the impact of the chemical species transports on the PEM fuel cell performance.