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Modeling of inhomogeneous compression effects of porous GDL on transport phenomena and performance in PEM fuel cells

Wang, Jiatang LU ; Yuan, Jinliang LU and Sundén, Bengt LU (2017) In International Journal of Energy Research 41(7). p.985-1003
Abstract

A comprehensive, three-dimensional model of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell based on a steady state code has been developed. The model is validated and further be applied to investigate the effects of various porosity of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) below channel land areas, on thermal diffusivity, temperature distribution, oxygen diffusion coefficient, oxygen concentration, activation loss and local current density. The porosity variation of the GDL is caused by the clamping force during assembling, in terms of various compression ratios, that is, 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. The simulation results show that the higher compression ratio on the GDL leads to lower porosity, and this is helpful for the heat removal from the... (More)

A comprehensive, three-dimensional model of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell based on a steady state code has been developed. The model is validated and further be applied to investigate the effects of various porosity of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) below channel land areas, on thermal diffusivity, temperature distribution, oxygen diffusion coefficient, oxygen concentration, activation loss and local current density. The porosity variation of the GDL is caused by the clamping force during assembling, in terms of various compression ratios, that is, 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. The simulation results show that the higher compression ratio on the GDL leads to lower porosity, and this is helpful for the heat removal from the cell. The compression effects of the GDL below the land areas have a contrary impact on the oxygen diffusion coefficient, oxygen concentration, cathode activation loss, local current density and cell performance. Generally, a lower porosity leads to a smaller oxygen diffusion coefficient, a less uniform oxygen concentration, a higher activation loss, a smaller local current density and worse cell performance. In order to have a better cell performance, the clamping force on the cell should be as low as possible but ensure gas sealing.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
compression ratio, GDL, OpenFOAM, PEM fuel cells, porosity, transport phenomena
in
International Journal of Energy Research
volume
41
issue
7
pages
19 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • wos:000403300200005
  • scopus:85027954922
ISSN
0363-907X
DOI
10.1002/er.3687
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
45215f75-d9ac-4783-8703-6f059bea08ab
date added to LUP
2017-05-29 14:02:53
date last changed
2022-03-01 22:10:50
@article{45215f75-d9ac-4783-8703-6f059bea08ab,
  abstract     = {{<p>A comprehensive, three-dimensional model of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell based on a steady state code has been developed. The model is validated and further be applied to investigate the effects of various porosity of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) below channel land areas, on thermal diffusivity, temperature distribution, oxygen diffusion coefficient, oxygen concentration, activation loss and local current density. The porosity variation of the GDL is caused by the clamping force during assembling, in terms of various compression ratios, that is, 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. The simulation results show that the higher compression ratio on the GDL leads to lower porosity, and this is helpful for the heat removal from the cell. The compression effects of the GDL below the land areas have a contrary impact on the oxygen diffusion coefficient, oxygen concentration, cathode activation loss, local current density and cell performance. Generally, a lower porosity leads to a smaller oxygen diffusion coefficient, a less uniform oxygen concentration, a higher activation loss, a smaller local current density and worse cell performance. In order to have a better cell performance, the clamping force on the cell should be as low as possible but ensure gas sealing.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wang, Jiatang and Yuan, Jinliang and Sundén, Bengt}},
  issn         = {{0363-907X}},
  keywords     = {{compression ratio; GDL; OpenFOAM; PEM fuel cells; porosity; transport phenomena}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{985--1003}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Energy Research}},
  title        = {{Modeling of inhomogeneous compression effects of porous GDL on transport phenomena and performance in PEM fuel cells}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/er.3687}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/er.3687}},
  volume       = {{41}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}