Temperature-Driven Water Transport In Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Water transport induced by heat flow across polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) membranes has been studied under wellcontrolled thermal conditions. The investigation showed that water can be transferred across a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) that is subjected to a through-plane temperature differential. Thermo-osmotic water transport is a membrane-controlled phenomenon. The thermally driven water flux was found to be relatively large even for small temperature differences (∼1°C). A physical model of thermo-osmosis is proposed. Comparison between the proposed model results and the experimental data shows good agreement. copyright The Electrochemical Society