Cargando…

Observation of Preferential Pathways for Oxygen Removal through Porous Transport Layers of Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolyzers

Understanding the relationships between porous transport layer (PTL) morphology and oxygen removal is essential to improve the polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer (PEWE) performance. Operando X-ray computed tomography and machine learning were performed on a model electrolyzer at different water...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Satjaritanun, Pongsarun, O'Brien, Maeve, Kulkarni, Devashish, Shimpalee, Sirivatch, Capuano, Cristopher, Ayers, Katherine E., Danilovic, Nemanja, Parkinson, Dilworth Y., Zenyuk, Iryna V.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Elsevier 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7691172/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33294791
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2020.101783
_version_ 1783614232140447744
author Satjaritanun, Pongsarun
O'Brien, Maeve
Kulkarni, Devashish
Shimpalee, Sirivatch
Capuano, Cristopher
Ayers, Katherine E.
Danilovic, Nemanja
Parkinson, Dilworth Y.
Zenyuk, Iryna V.
author_facet Satjaritanun, Pongsarun
O'Brien, Maeve
Kulkarni, Devashish
Shimpalee, Sirivatch
Capuano, Cristopher
Ayers, Katherine E.
Danilovic, Nemanja
Parkinson, Dilworth Y.
Zenyuk, Iryna V.
author_sort Satjaritanun, Pongsarun
collection PubMed
description Understanding the relationships between porous transport layer (PTL) morphology and oxygen removal is essential to improve the polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer (PEWE) performance. Operando X-ray computed tomography and machine learning were performed on a model electrolyzer at different water flow rates and current densities to determine how these operating conditions alter oxygen transport in the PTLs. We report a direct observation of oxygen taking preferential pathways through the PTL, regardless of the water flow rate or current density (1-4 A/cm(2)). Oxygen distribution in the PTL had a periodic behavior with period of 400 μm. A computational fluid dynamics model was used to predict oxygen distribution in the PTL showing periodic oxygen front. Observed oxygen distribution is due to low in-plane PTL tortuosity and high porosity enabling merging of oxygen bubbles in the middle of the PTL and also due to aerophobicity of the layer.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-7691172
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2020
publisher Elsevier
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-76911722020-12-07 Observation of Preferential Pathways for Oxygen Removal through Porous Transport Layers of Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolyzers Satjaritanun, Pongsarun O'Brien, Maeve Kulkarni, Devashish Shimpalee, Sirivatch Capuano, Cristopher Ayers, Katherine E. Danilovic, Nemanja Parkinson, Dilworth Y. Zenyuk, Iryna V. iScience Article Understanding the relationships between porous transport layer (PTL) morphology and oxygen removal is essential to improve the polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer (PEWE) performance. Operando X-ray computed tomography and machine learning were performed on a model electrolyzer at different water flow rates and current densities to determine how these operating conditions alter oxygen transport in the PTLs. We report a direct observation of oxygen taking preferential pathways through the PTL, regardless of the water flow rate or current density (1-4 A/cm(2)). Oxygen distribution in the PTL had a periodic behavior with period of 400 μm. A computational fluid dynamics model was used to predict oxygen distribution in the PTL showing periodic oxygen front. Observed oxygen distribution is due to low in-plane PTL tortuosity and high porosity enabling merging of oxygen bubbles in the middle of the PTL and also due to aerophobicity of the layer. Elsevier 2020-11-09 /pmc/articles/PMC7691172/ /pubmed/33294791 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2020.101783 Text en © 2020 The Authors http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
spellingShingle Article
Satjaritanun, Pongsarun
O'Brien, Maeve
Kulkarni, Devashish
Shimpalee, Sirivatch
Capuano, Cristopher
Ayers, Katherine E.
Danilovic, Nemanja
Parkinson, Dilworth Y.
Zenyuk, Iryna V.
Observation of Preferential Pathways for Oxygen Removal through Porous Transport Layers of Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolyzers
title Observation of Preferential Pathways for Oxygen Removal through Porous Transport Layers of Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolyzers
title_full Observation of Preferential Pathways for Oxygen Removal through Porous Transport Layers of Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolyzers
title_fullStr Observation of Preferential Pathways for Oxygen Removal through Porous Transport Layers of Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolyzers
title_full_unstemmed Observation of Preferential Pathways for Oxygen Removal through Porous Transport Layers of Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolyzers
title_short Observation of Preferential Pathways for Oxygen Removal through Porous Transport Layers of Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolyzers
title_sort observation of preferential pathways for oxygen removal through porous transport layers of polymer electrolyte water electrolyzers
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7691172/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33294791
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2020.101783
work_keys_str_mv AT satjaritanunpongsarun observationofpreferentialpathwaysforoxygenremovalthroughporoustransportlayersofpolymerelectrolytewaterelectrolyzers
AT obrienmaeve observationofpreferentialpathwaysforoxygenremovalthroughporoustransportlayersofpolymerelectrolytewaterelectrolyzers
AT kulkarnidevashish observationofpreferentialpathwaysforoxygenremovalthroughporoustransportlayersofpolymerelectrolytewaterelectrolyzers
AT shimpaleesirivatch observationofpreferentialpathwaysforoxygenremovalthroughporoustransportlayersofpolymerelectrolytewaterelectrolyzers
AT capuanocristopher observationofpreferentialpathwaysforoxygenremovalthroughporoustransportlayersofpolymerelectrolytewaterelectrolyzers
AT ayerskatherinee observationofpreferentialpathwaysforoxygenremovalthroughporoustransportlayersofpolymerelectrolytewaterelectrolyzers
AT danilovicnemanja observationofpreferentialpathwaysforoxygenremovalthroughporoustransportlayersofpolymerelectrolytewaterelectrolyzers
AT parkinsondilworthy observationofpreferentialpathwaysforoxygenremovalthroughporoustransportlayersofpolymerelectrolytewaterelectrolyzers
AT zenyukirynav observationofpreferentialpathwaysforoxygenremovalthroughporoustransportlayersofpolymerelectrolytewaterelectrolyzers