Visualization of Water Accumulation Process in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Using Neutron Radiography

In order to clarify the water-accumulation phenomena in an operating polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), the water distribution in a small fuel cell was measured in the through-plane direction by using neutron radiography. The fuel cell had nine parallel channels for classifying the water-accumulation process in the gas diffusion layer (GDL) under the lands and channels. The experimental results were compared with numerical results. The water accumulation in the GDL under the lands was larger than that under the channels during the period of early PEFC operation. The difference of the water accumulation in the GDL under the land and channel was related to the water vapor. Because of the land, the vapor fraction in the GDL under the land was also higher than that under the channel. As a result, condensation was easy to occur in the GDL under the land.