Optimal Design of Ultralow-Platinum PEMFC Anode Electrodes

A computational, two-dimensional agglomerate anode electrode model is presented. The model provides insight on the mass and charge transport in the anode and implements the recent proposed dual-pathway kinetics for the hydrogen oxidation reaction. Results from this model highlight the potential for platinum reduction on the anode. In order to systematically assess the possible reductions on platinum loading, an optimization problem is formulated to minimize platinum loading while maintaining performance of typical state-of-the-art electrodes. The results reveal that platinum loading can be reduced by more than one order of magnitude, from 0.4 to less than , by changing the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and catalyst layer (CL) composition. Furthermore, if the CL thickness and the GDL and CL compositions are optimized simultaneously, the amount of platinum can be further reduced by an extra order of magnitude by depositing a catalyst layer of with a platinum loading of .