Influence of anisotropic gas diffusion layers on transport phenomena in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (14) ◽  
pp. 2034-2050 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shian Li ◽  
Jinliang Yuan ◽  
Martin Andersson ◽  
Gongnan Xie ◽  
Bengt Sundén
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Transport Phenomena ◽  
Gas Diffusion ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Gas Diffusion Layers ◽  
Diffusion Layers ◽  
Exchange Membrane

Numerical Simulation of Droplet Emergence and Growth From Gas Diffusion Layers (GDLs) in Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell Flow Channels

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingru Benner ◽  
Mehdi Mortazavi ◽  
Anthony D. Santamaria
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Gas Diffusion ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Gas Diffusion Layers ◽  
Diffusion Layers ◽  
Flow Channels ◽  
Exchange Membrane ◽  
Over Time

Liquid water management is critical for Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell operation, as excessive humidity can lead to flooding and cell performance degradation. Water is produced in the cathode catalyst layer during the electrochemical reaction. If reactant gas streams become saturated, liquid water forms and must travel through anode and cathode Gas Diffusion Layers (GDLs) to reach flow channels for removal. Understanding the dynamic behavior of the droplet is critical to improve water removal strategies for PEM fuel cells. In this study a 3D, transient, two-phase model based on the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method was developed to study a single droplet in the gas channel. The formation, growth, and breakup of the droplet is tracked numerically and analyzed. The pressure drop across the droplet is monitored over time and compared with theoretical analysis. The droplet size and shape change over time for two different pore sizes are compared. The impact of various gases including air, helium, and hydrogen on droplet dynamics is presented. The viscous force and pressure force on the droplet and the drag coefficient are calculated.

Highly efficient single-layer gas diffusion layers for the proton exchange membrane fuel cell

2008 ◽  
Vol 184 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.F. Hung ◽  
J. Huang ◽  
H.J. Chuang ◽  
S.H. Bai ◽  
Y.J. Lai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Gas Diffusion ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Gas Diffusion Layers ◽  
Highly Efficient ◽  
Diffusion Layers ◽  
Exchange Membrane

Effect of Compression on the Water Management of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell With Different Gas Diffusion Layers

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongying Shi ◽  
Xia Wang ◽  
Laila Guessous
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Diffusion Layer ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Gas Diffusion Layer ◽  
Gas Diffusion ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Gas Diffusion Layers ◽  
Diffusion Layers ◽  
Exchange Membrane

The gas diffusion layer (GDL) plays an important role in maintaining suitable water management in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The properties of the gas diffusion layer, such as its porosity, permeability, wettability, and thickness, are affected by the shoulders of the bipolar plates due to the compression applied in the assembly process. Compression therefore influences the water management inside fuel cells. A two-phase fuel cell model was used to study the water management problem in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with interdigitated flow channels. The effect of the compression on the fuel cell performance was numerically investigated for a variety of GDL parameters. This paper focuses on studying the water management of fuel cells under compression for various types of gas diffusion layers. First, the deformation of a gas diffusion layer due to compression applied from the shoulders of the bipolar plates was modeled as a plain-strain problem and was determined using finite element analysis (FEA). The porosity and the permeability of the gas diffusion layer were then recalculated based on the deformation results. Next, the deformed domain from the FEA model was coupled with a fuel cell model, and the effects of the compression during the assembly process on the water management and fuel cell performance were studied for gas diffusion layers with different thicknesses, porosities, and compressive moduli. It was found that the deformation of the GDL results in a low oxygen concentration at the reaction site. The saturation level of liquid water increases along the flow direction, and is higher when the compression effect is considered in the simulation.

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