Enhanced performance of proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer via accelerated gas transport using titanium mesh

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) demonstrates strong potential for efficient hydrogen production due to its high energy efficiency and compatibility with renewable energy sources. However, large-scale commercialization remains constrained by key challenges, notably the high cost of machined flow fields within bipolar plates. Titanium mesh has emerged as a promising, cost-effective alternative, offering advantages in low-cost fabrication and favorable fluid management characteristics. Nevertheless, the performance of titanium mesh in PEMWE systems requires further elucidation. This study investigates the electrochemical performance of PEMWE utilizing titanium mesh flow fields and develops an approach to evaluate internal gas transport. Results demonstrate that titanium mesh-based electrolyzers achieve lower operating voltages and approximately 5% higher electrolysis efficiency compared to conventional designs employing parallel flow fields, under equivalent current density. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis attributes this improvement to reductions in ohmic, kinetic, and mass transfer overpotentials. Furthermore, an integrated measurement approach incorporating in situ bubble visualization revealed that titanium mesh electrolyzers exhibit accelerated gas removal, shorter gas transport times, reduced bubble sizes, and lower electrode surface bubble coverage relative to conventional counterparts. This work provides novel insights into the mechanisms of the enhanced performance in titanium mesh-based PEMWE system.