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<p>Proton exchange membrane&#xa0;(PEM) water electrolyzer is a promising technology for green hydrogen production. However, its performance is often limited by the accumulation of gas bubbles at the porous transport layer (PTL) surface, especially at high-current densities. Effective management of bubble transport is therefore essential for improving two-phase flow and electrochemical performance. To address this, 3D flow channel designs are being explored to enhance flow and advection for superior bubble stability. In this study, three different flow channels, such as a conventional straight channel (Basic) and two 3D wave-shaped channels (Wave 1 and Wave 2), are experimentally investigated to analyze bubble dynamics and their impact on system performance. The effects of operating conditions, including temperature (40–80&#xa0;°C) and flow rate (15–75&#xa0;mL/min) are studied. Bubble behavior between the PTL-flow channel interface is captured using high-speed imaging and analyzed through an artificial intelligence-based segmentation model (nnU-Net). The results show that the flow field geometry influenced the bubble transport. In particular, Wave 2 channel exhibited superior performance by promoting finer bubble dispersion and more regular detachment compared with the Wave 1 and Basic channel designs. This reduces bubble coverage at the PTL surface and facilitates effective bubble removal, leading to lower cell voltage and enhanced system efficiency. The present study highlights the importance of flow field design in controlling two-phase flow behavior and offers insights for optimizing flow channel geometries in PEM water electrolyzers.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>

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Visualization and analysis of bubble dynamics in 3D-structured PEM water electrolyzer

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月16日

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  • Sohyeon Kim,
  • Bongliba T. Sangtam,
  • Hyeonjin Lee,
  • Seungmin Han,
  • Jeong Hoon Kim,
  • Hanwook Park

摘要

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer is a promising technology for green hydrogen production. However, its performance is often limited by the accumulation of gas bubbles at the porous transport layer (PTL) surface, especially at high-current densities. Effective management of bubble transport is therefore essential for improving two-phase flow and electrochemical performance. To address this, 3D flow channel designs are being explored to enhance flow and advection for superior bubble stability. In this study, three different flow channels, such as a conventional straight channel (Basic) and two 3D wave-shaped channels (Wave 1 and Wave 2), are experimentally investigated to analyze bubble dynamics and their impact on system performance. The effects of operating conditions, including temperature (40–80 °C) and flow rate (15–75 mL/min) are studied. Bubble behavior between the PTL-flow channel interface is captured using high-speed imaging and analyzed through an artificial intelligence-based segmentation model (nnU-Net). The results show that the flow field geometry influenced the bubble transport. In particular, Wave 2 channel exhibited superior performance by promoting finer bubble dispersion and more regular detachment compared with the Wave 1 and Basic channel designs. This reduces bubble coverage at the PTL surface and facilitates effective bubble removal, leading to lower cell voltage and enhanced system efficiency. The present study highlights the importance of flow field design in controlling two-phase flow behavior and offers insights for optimizing flow channel geometries in PEM water electrolyzers.

Graphical abstract