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Energies
Volume 14
Issue 21
10.3390/en14217299
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Article

The Influence Catalyst Layer Thickness on Resistance Contributions of PEMFC Determined by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

by
Maximilian Grandi
1,
Kurt Mayer
1,
Matija Gatalo
2,
Gregor Kapun
2,
Francisco Ruiz-Zepeda
2,
Bernhard Marius
1,
Miran Gaberšček
2 and
Viktor Hacker
1,*
1
Institute of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 25/C, 8010 Graz, Austria
2
Department of Materials Chemistry, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Energies 2021, 14(21), 7299; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14217299
Submission received: 2 September 2021 / Revised: 20 October 2021 / Accepted: 25 October 2021 / Published: 4 November 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Advanced Models for Analysis and Simulation of Fuel Cells)
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Abstract

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is an important tool for fuel-cell analysis and monitoring. This study focuses on the low-AC frequencies (2–0.1 Hz) to show that the thickness of the catalyst layer significantly influences the overall resistance of the cell. By combining known models, a new equivalent circuit model was generated. The new model is able to simulate the impedance signal in the complete frequency spectrum of 105–10−2 Hz, usually used in experimental work on polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFCs). The model was compared with experimental data and to an older model from the literature for verification. The electrochemical impedance spectra recorded on different MEAs with cathode catalyst layer thicknesses of approx. 5 and 12 µm show the appearance of a third semicircle in the low-frequency region that scales with current density. It has been shown that the ohmic resistance contribution (Rmt) of this third semicircle increases with the catalyst layer’s thickness. Furthermore, the electrolyte resistance is shown to decrease with increasing catalyst-layer thickness. The cause of this phenomenon was identified to be increased water retention by thicker catalyst layers.
Keywords: PEMFC; electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; equivalent circuit modelling; electrode design PEMFC; electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; equivalent circuit modelling; electrode design

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MDPI and ACS Style

Grandi, M.; Mayer, K.; Gatalo, M.; Kapun, G.; Ruiz-Zepeda, F.; Marius, B.; Gaberšček, M.; Hacker, V. The Influence Catalyst Layer Thickness on Resistance Contributions of PEMFC Determined by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. Energies 2021, 14, 7299. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14217299

AMA Style

Grandi M, Mayer K, Gatalo M, Kapun G, Ruiz-Zepeda F, Marius B, Gaberšček M, Hacker V. The Influence Catalyst Layer Thickness on Resistance Contributions of PEMFC Determined by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. Energies. 2021; 14(21):7299. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14217299

Chicago/Turabian Style

Grandi, Maximilian, Kurt Mayer, Matija Gatalo, Gregor Kapun, Francisco Ruiz-Zepeda, Bernhard Marius, Miran Gaberšček, and Viktor Hacker. 2021. "The Influence Catalyst Layer Thickness on Resistance Contributions of PEMFC Determined by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy" Energies 14, no. 21: 7299. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14217299

APA Style

Grandi, M., Mayer, K., Gatalo, M., Kapun, G., Ruiz-Zepeda, F., Marius, B., Gaberšček, M., & Hacker, V. (2021). The Influence Catalyst Layer Thickness on Resistance Contributions of PEMFC Determined by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. Energies, 14(21), 7299. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14217299

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