Optimization of polymer electrolyte fuel cell cathodes

摘要

We adopt an agglomerate catalyst layer (CL) model and recast it into a compact form for optimization of polymer electrolyte fuel cell cathodes. Our reformulation captures the transport processes within the gas diffusion layer and the CL and the transport/reaction processes within an individual agglomerate particle. The governing equations are discretized using a finite-difference method, and the resulting optimization problem is linked to a state-of-the-art nonlinear programming algorithm. From the platinum (Pt) minimizations we obtain relationships between optimal Pt mass and current density at different operating voltages. For current density maximization we investigate the optimal distribution of material parameters along the CL width.