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Browsing by Author "Garrabrant, Austin Joseph"

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    Analysis of Ionomer-coated Carbon Nanofiber for use in PEM Fuel Cell Catalyst Layers
    Garrabrant, Austin Joseph (Virginia Tech, 2019-07-31)
    The typical catalyst layer structure for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells has changed little over the last two decades. A new electrode design with improved control over factors such as ionic and electrical pathways, porosity, and catalyst placement, could allow the application of less expensive catalyst alternatives. In this work, a novel electrode design based on ionomer-coated carbon nanofibers is proposed and studied. Governing equations for this design were established, and a mathematical model was created and solved using MATLAB to predict the performance of the new electrode design. A parametric study was performed to identify the design variables that had the most significant effect on performance. The best performing catalyst layer design studied with this model produces a current density of 1.1 A cm-2 at 600 mV which is better than state-of-the-art cathode designs. The results offer insight into the performance of ionomer-coated carbon nanofiber catalyst layers and can guide the fabrication and testing of these promising catalyst layer structures.