On the role of porous transport layer thickness in polymer electrolyte water electrolysis

The reduction of capital and operational expenditure in polymer electrolyte water electrolysis (PEWE) is crucial importance for materializing the hydrogen economy. Optimizing components design PEWE cells a major contribution to this goal. In study, we have analyzed impact reducing anodic porous transport layer (PTL) thickness by over one order magnitude from 2 mm 0.16 while keeping other parameters PTL constant systematic comparison. morphology its on cell performance been correlated X-ray tomographic microscopy (XTM) overpotential breakdown analysis. We found that varying thicknesses range can contribute up 120 mV at 4 A/cm2 which be attributed limitations below flow field land thin PTLs. Furthermore, results indicate there an optimal dependency design. For investigated class materials, corresponding roughly half size. Subsequently, guideline was deduced relation characteristics.