Design and 3D Print Optimized Morphologies for Porous Transport Layers in PEM Electrolysis
Problem statement
The climate crisis is a growing issue that is beginning to affect every human being alive [1]. To combat this issue, new forms of energy are being explored to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen acts as a clean replacement for many of the carbon-emitting fuels we use today, as burning hydrogen produces only water. Molecular hydrogen is not readily accessible in large quantities in earth’s atmosphere, so it must be obtained through other methods, one of the best options being electrolysis. Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis is a promising technology for sustainable hydrogen production, but the performance of these devices still leaves something to be desired [2]. One component, the porous transport layer (PTL), limits mass transport and electrical efficiency. Current PTLs exhibit high mass transport resistance, slow oxygen bubble detachment, and restricted gas removal, which reduce reaction rates and hydrogen throughput. Our client, Professor Luca Mastropasqua and the HERD Lab at UW-Madison, needs an optimized PTL design that balances manufacturing costs, with the ratio of energy input to hydrogen production. By constructing novel PTL morphologies through additive manufacturing and testing them under realistic operating conditions, our project aims to improve PEM cell performance, enabling more efficient and scalable green hydrogen production.
[1]’Evidence – NASA Science.’ Accessed: Sep. 24, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/evidence/
[2]M. Kisti et al., ‘Recent Advances in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Water Electrolyzer Stack Development Studies: A Review,’ ACS Omega, vol. 10, no. 10, pp. 9824-9853, Mar. 2025, doi: 10.1021/acsomega.4c10147.
Team members
Cole Harrison – admin
Grace Hartig – facilitator
John Harms – communicator
Manaswi Shandilya – accountant
Client
Luca Mastropasqua
UW – Mechanical Engineering