Development of novel and metallic components for fuel cells with micro/nano technology

The performance, cost and durability of fuel cells are significantly impacted by the characteristics of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) whose principal functions are to efficiently transport the reactants and products to and from the membrane, as well as to conduct heat and electric current. Current GDL materials, which include carbon cloth or paper, have shown limited success, motivating the development of new materials. In addition to good thermal and electrical conductivity of the GDL, its pore size distribution must be optimized for improving the transport of both gas and liquid phases during fuel cell operation.