The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is the key component of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Conventional MEAs are facing challenges like high mass transport resistance due to their toutious pathway in catalyst layers (CL), reducing energy conversion efficiency. This study develops a 1+1-dimensional two-phase steady-state model, comparing performance between randomly distributed carbon particle CLs and ordered-carbon-nanowire-made (CNW) CLs. Results show that ordered CLs improve peak power density by 18.6% at least. Then parametric studies reveal an optimal performance at 25 nm CNW radius and 9.86 nm CNW length, achieving balance between oxygen transfer and proton conductio. And these optimal values may be varied when adopting different preparation parameters.

PEMFC,Ordered Catalyst Layer,Optimization