Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology

, Volume 26, Issue 6, pp 1957–1962 | Cite as

Supercooling release of micro-size water droplets on microporous surfaces with cooling

Article
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Abstract

The gas diffusion layer (GDL) of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells plays a key role in controlling moisture in these cells. When the GDL is exposed to a cold environment, the water droplets or water nets in the GDL freeze. This work observed the supercooling and freezing behaviors of water droplets under low temperature. A GDL made of carbon fiber was coated with a waterproof material with 0%, 40%, and 60% PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) contents. The cooling process was investigated according to temperature, and the water droplets on the GDL were supercooled and frozen. Delay in the supercooling release was correlated with the size of water droplets on the GDL and the coating rate of the layer. Moreover, the supercooling degree of the droplets decreased as the number of freeze-thaw cycles in the GDL increased.

Keywords

Freezing Gas diffusion layer (GDL) PEMFC Supercooling Water droplet 
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Copyright information

© The Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Graduate SchoolChonbuk National UniversityJeonjuKorea
  2. 2.Department of Mechanical EngineeringChonbuk National University, Geothermal Energy Technology Research CenterJeonjuKorea

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