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Predicting transport parameters in PEFC gas diffusion layers considering micro-architectural variations using the Lattice Boltzmann method

Espinoza, Mayken LU ; Andersson, Martin LU and Sundén, Bengt LU (2017) In International Journal of Energy Research 41(4). p.565-578
Abstract

A deep understanding of the behavior of microstructural parameters in proton exchange fuel cells (PEFCs) will help to reduce the material cost and to predict the performance of the device at cell scale. Changes in morphological configuration, that is, fiber diameter and fiber orientation, of the gas diffusion layers (GDLs) result in variations of fluid behavior throughout the layer, and therefore, the microstructural parameters are affected. The aim of this study is to analyze, for three selected fiber diameters and different percentage presence of inclined fibers, the behavior of the different microstructural parameters of the GDLs. This study is carried out over digitally created two-dimensional GDL models, in which the fluid behavior... (More)

A deep understanding of the behavior of microstructural parameters in proton exchange fuel cells (PEFCs) will help to reduce the material cost and to predict the performance of the device at cell scale. Changes in morphological configuration, that is, fiber diameter and fiber orientation, of the gas diffusion layers (GDLs) result in variations of fluid behavior throughout the layer, and therefore, the microstructural parameters are affected. The aim of this study is to analyze, for three selected fiber diameters and different percentage presence of inclined fibers, the behavior of the different microstructural parameters of the GDLs. This study is carried out over digitally created two-dimensional GDL models, in which the fluid behavior is obtained by means of the lattice Boltzmann method. Once the fluid behavior is determined, the microstructural parameters, that is, the porosity, gas-phase tortuosity, obstruction factor, through-plane permeability, and inertial coefficient, are computed. Several relationships are found to predict the behavior of such parameters as function of the fiber diameter, presence of inclined rods, or porosity. The results presented in this work are compared and validated by previous theoretical and experimental studies found in the literature.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
gas diffusion layer, lattice Boltzmann method, micro-architecture, proton exchange fuel cell, transport parameters
in
International Journal of Energy Research
volume
41
issue
4
pages
14 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • wos:000395488400008
  • scopus:85028249812
ISSN
0363-907X
DOI
10.1002/er.3661
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b8054d13-990f-4174-819f-5a95773bfb8f
date added to LUP
2016-11-18 17:59:00
date last changed
2022-03-24 03:12:19
@article{b8054d13-990f-4174-819f-5a95773bfb8f,
  abstract     = {{<p>A deep understanding of the behavior of microstructural parameters in proton exchange fuel cells (PEFCs) will help to reduce the material cost and to predict the performance of the device at cell scale. Changes in morphological configuration, that is, fiber diameter and fiber orientation, of the gas diffusion layers (GDLs) result in variations of fluid behavior throughout the layer, and therefore, the microstructural parameters are affected. The aim of this study is to analyze, for three selected fiber diameters and different percentage presence of inclined fibers, the behavior of the different microstructural parameters of the GDLs. This study is carried out over digitally created two-dimensional GDL models, in which the fluid behavior is obtained by means of the lattice Boltzmann method. Once the fluid behavior is determined, the microstructural parameters, that is, the porosity, gas-phase tortuosity, obstruction factor, through-plane permeability, and inertial coefficient, are computed. Several relationships are found to predict the behavior of such parameters as function of the fiber diameter, presence of inclined rods, or porosity. The results presented in this work are compared and validated by previous theoretical and experimental studies found in the literature.</p>}},
  author       = {{Espinoza, Mayken and Andersson, Martin and Sundén, Bengt}},
  issn         = {{0363-907X}},
  keywords     = {{gas diffusion layer; lattice Boltzmann method; micro-architecture; proton exchange fuel cell; transport parameters}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{565--578}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Energy Research}},
  title        = {{Predicting transport parameters in PEFC gas diffusion layers considering micro-architectural variations using the Lattice Boltzmann method}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/er.3661}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/er.3661}},
  volume       = {{41}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}