About this Research Topic

Background

Optimal design of porous media for electrochemical systems (e.g., fuel cells, electrolyzers, redox flow batteries, and lithium-ion batteries) poses fundamental questions due to the existence of conflicting effects in the desired effective properties (e.g., diffusivity, permeability, Young’s modulus and electrical/thermal conductivity). The optimal distribution of effective transport properties that must be considered to maximize performance and durability is unknown. The problem is further challenged by the multiscale character of the problem, ranging from nanometers to centimeters in a single cell and beyond in cell stacks. Moreover, finite size features, such as manufacturing defects, heterogeneous, multi-component microstructure and lack of a representative elementary volume across the thickness, complicates modeling and characterization. Multiphase transport of either products or trapped secondary phases plays also a key role at different spatial and temporal scales, affecting reactant distribution, peak power density, efficiency and degradation.

This Research Topic aims to provide a meeting point for researchers working on modeling and characterization of electrochemical systems, with a focus on multiphysics, multiphase and multiscale transport. The design of engineered porous media with enhanced properties is of paramount importance to improve performance and enlarge durability, while reducing cost and extending commercialization of electrochemical devices. Optimized design of porous media can be accomplished by both conventional and more novel methods, such as multiscale 3D printing, or a combination thereof. Extraction of good guidelines to produce novel multifunctional porous media is essential as part of the design of next-generation electrochemical systems. Porous media of interest include but are not limited to transport porous layers, catalyst layers, macroporous electrodes, membranes and porous flow distributors.

Research and review articles devoted to the modeling and characterization of innovative porous media for electrochemical applications are welcome to this Research Topic. Work is expected to be mainly focused on the design and optimization of thin porous media from fundamental understanding to their use in targeted electrochemical systems, either at cell or stack level. Cutting-edge strategies to improve operation should be part of the outcome, preferably through a combination of experimental and numerical work.

Three main research areas are to be covered in the topic:

• manufacturing techniques, such as powder technology and multiscale 3D printing,

• multiphysics, multiphase and multiscale transport in multifunctional porous media, such as catalyst layers and macroporous electrodes, and

• performance and durability improvement at different operating conditions, such as variable relative humidity in low-temperature fuel cells.

Keywords: transport in porous media, electrochemical energy, modeling; characterization, design

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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