Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

The polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer functions by converting electricity and water intox000D
hydrogen and oxygen, whereas the PEM fuel cell (PEMFC) performs the opposite task. Through these twox000D
technologies, hydrogen offers unparalleled advantages over other fuels, because carbon dioxide and otherx000D
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are not produced during their operation. However, for these technologies tox000D
operate as efficiently as possible, the by-products must be quickly removed to prevent any hindrance to thex000D
flow of reactants to the reaction sites.x000D
Recently Loop Energy has developed and patented a state-of-the-art PEMFC design, named the eFlow, whichx000D
has reduced the cost of the PEMFC by 30% in comparison to traditional fuel cell products. However, Loopx000D
Energy would like to know which aspects of their eFlow design could be translated to a PEM electrolyzer, andx000D
which will need to be specifically tailored to the new application. Dr. Bazylak's group at the University ofx000D
Toronto will examine this question by producing statistically equivalent porous lab-on-chips, which reproducex000D
the PEM electrolyzer's environment. Through use of fluorescence microscopy-based imaging, Dr. Bazylak'sx000D
group will be able to visualize the interactions of the liquid water/gaseous air interface with the solid particles,x000D
and the pore-to-pore interactions associated with non-wetting gaseous air invasion as the inlet water flow ratex000D
and the channel designs are varied. These fundamental studies will be used to provide direct insight into thex000D
applicability of channel flow design for oxygen bubble removal for driving PEM electrolyzer costs down tox000D
competitive levels.