A parametric study of multi-phase and multi-species transport in the cathode of PEM fuel cells

International Journal of Energy Research

Volumn 32, Issue 8, 2008, Pages 698-721

  Zamel, Nada ^a   Li, Xianguo ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO   (Canada)

Author keywords

Cross flow; Liquid water removal; Multi phase transport; PEM fuel cell

Indexed keywords

ATMOSPHERIC HUMIDITY; CAPILLARITY; CATALYSIS; CELLS; CONCENTRATION (PROCESS); CYTOLOGY; DIFFUSION; DIFFUSION IN GASES; ELECTRIC BATTERIES; ELECTROCHEMISTRY; ELECTRODES; ELECTROLYSIS; ELECTROLYTES; FLUID DYNAMICS; FUEL CELLS; GROUNDWATER FLOW; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MAXWELL EQUATIONS; METEOROLOGY; MOISTURE; PROBABILITY DENSITY FUNCTION; PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS (PEMFC); SEMICONDUCTOR DOPING; SERPENTINE; SILICATE MINERALS; SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS (SOFC);

CAPILLARY PRESSURES; CATALYST LAYERS; CATHODE ELECTRODES; COMMERCIAL SOFTWARES; COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS; CONSERVATION EQUATIONS; CROSS FLOW; CROSS FLOWS; DARCY'S LAWS; ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTIONS; ELECTROLYTE CONDUCTIVITIES; FINITE DOMAINS; FLOW CHANNELS; FLOW DIRECTIONS; FLOW PHENOMENONS; GAS DIFFUSIONS; LIQUID PHASES; LIQUID WATER REMOVAL; LIQUID WATER SATURATIONS; LIQUID WATERS; MULTI-PHASE TRANSPORT; MULTI-SPECIES DIFFUSIONS; OPTIMAL RATIOS; OVERALL PERFORMANCES; PARAMETRIC STUDIES; PEM FUEL CELL; PEM FUEL CELLS; PRESSURE LOSSES; RELATIVE HUMIDITIES; SERPENTINE FLOW FIELDS; SPECIES TRANSPORTS; SUPPORTED CATALYSTS; TRANSPORT OF GASES; UNIFORM DISTRIBUTIONS; VOID SPACES; WATER CONCENTRATIONS; WIDTH RATIOS;

DEWATERING;

EID: 48949120878     PISSN: 0363907X     EISSN: 1099114X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/er.1384     Document Type: Article

References (37)

1. He W, Yi JS, Nguyen TV. Two-phase flow model of the cathode of PEM fuel cells using interdigitated flow fields. AICHE Journal 2000; 46:2053-2064.
2. Natarajan D, Nguyen TV. A two-dimensional, two-phase, multicomponent, transient model for the cathode of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Journal of Electrochemical Society 2001; 148:A1324-A1335.
3. Wang ZH, Wang CY, Chen KS. Two phase flow and transport in the air cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources 2001; 94:40-50.
4. Leverette MC. Capillary behavior in porous solids. Transactions of AIME 1941; 142:151-169.
5. Meng H, Wang CY. Model of two-phase flow and flooding dynamics in polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2005; 152:A1733-A1741.
6. Senn SM, Poulikakos D. Multiphase transport phenomena in the diffusion zone of a PEM fuel cell. Journal of Heat Transfer 2005; 127:1245-1259.
7. You L, Liu H. A two-phase flow and transport model for the cathode of PEM fuel cells. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 2002; 45:219-230.
8. Hu M, Zhu X, Wang M, Gu A, Yu L. Three dimensional, two phase flow mathematical model for PEM fuel cell: Part 1. Model development. Energy Conversion and Management 2004; 45:1861-1882.
9. Hu M, Zhu X, Wang M, Gu A, Yu L. Three dimensional, two phase flow mathematical model for PEM fuel cell: Part II. Analysis and discussion of the internal transport mechanisms. Energy Conversion and Management 2004; 45:1883-1916.
10. Siegel NP, Ellis MW, Nelson DJ, von Spakovsky MR. A two-dimensional computational model of a PEMFC with liquid water transport. Journal of Power Sources 2004; 128:173-184.
11. Baschuk JJ, Li X. A general formulation for a mathematical PEM fuel cell model. Journal of Power Sources 2004; 142:134-153.
12. Park J, Li X. An experimental and numerical investigation on the cross flow through gas diffusion layer in a PEM fuel cell with a serpentine flow channel. Journal of Power Sources 2006; 163:853-863.
13. Feser JP, Prasad AK, Advani SG. On the relative influence of convection in serpentine flow fields of PEM fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources 2006; 161:404-412.
14. Kanezaki T, Li X, Baschuk JJ. Cross-leakage flow between adjacent flow channels in PEM fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources 2006; 162:415-425.
15. Li X, Sabir I, Park J. A flow channel design procedure for PEM fuel cells with effective water removal. Journal of Power Sources 2007; 163:933-942.
16. Yu HM, Ziegler C, Oszcipok M, Zobel M, Hebling C. Hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity study of catalyst layers in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Electrochimica Acta 2005; 51:1199-1207.
17. Ihonen J, Mikkola M, Lindbergh G. Flooding of gas diffusion backing in PEFCs: physical and electrochemical characterization. Journal of Electrochemical Society 2004; 151:1152-1161.
18. Williams MV, Begg E, Bonville L, Kunz HR, Fenton JM. Characterization of gas diffusion layers for PEMFC. Journal of Electrochemical Society 2004: 151:1173-1180.
19. Pasaogullari U, Wang CY. Liquid water transport in gas diffusion layer of polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Journal of Electrochemical Society 2004; 151:399-406.
20. Lim C, Wang CY. Effects of hydrophobic polymer content in GDL on power performance of a PEM fuel cell. Electrochimica Acta 2004; 49:4149-4156.
21. Wang C. Multiphase flow and heat transfer in porous media. Advances in Heat Transfer 1997; 30:93-196.
22. Vafai K, Tien C. Boundary and inertia effects on flow and heat transfer in porous media. Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 1981; 24:195-203.
23. Adamson A. Physical Chemistry of Surfaces (5th edn). Wiley: New York, 1990.
24. Ustohal P, Stauffer F, Dracos T. Measurement and modeling of hydraulic characteristics of unsaturated porous media with mixed wettability. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 1998; 33:5-37.
25. Weber AZ, Darling RM, Newman J. Modeling two phase behavior in PEFC's. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2004; 151:A1715-A1727.
26. Demond A, Roberts P. Effect of interfacial forces on two-phase capillary pressure saturation relationships. Water Resources Research 1991; 27:423-437.
27. Corey AT. Mechanics of Heterogenous Fluids in Porous Media. Water Resources Publications: Fort Collins, 1977.
28. Springer TE, Zawodinski TA, Gottesfeld S. Polymer electrolyte fuel cell model. Journal of Electrochemical Society 1991; 138:2334-2342.
29. Zamel N, Li X. Numerical investigation of transport phenomena and electrochemical reactions in PEM fuel cell cathode. International Journal of Low Carbon Technology 2007; 2:126-148.
30. Zawodzinski TA, Davey J, Valerio J, Gottesfeld S. The water content dependence of electro-osmotic drag in proton-conducting polymer electrolytes. Electrochimica Acta 1995; 40:297-302.
31. Büchi PN, Scherer GC. Investigation of the transversal water profile in nafion membranes in polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2001; 148:A183-A188.
32. Parthasarathy A, Srinivasan S, Appleby J. Temperature dependence of the electrode kinetics of oxygen reduction at the platinum/nafion interface - a microelectrode investigation. Journal of Electrochemical Society 1992; 139: 2530-2537.
33. Motupally S, Becker JA, Weidner JW. Diffusion of water in Nafion 115 membranes. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2000; 147:3171-3177.
34. Vynnycky M. On the modelling of two-phase flow in the cathode gas diffusion layer of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. Applied Mathematics and Computation 2007; 189:1560-1575.
35. Ziegler C, Trarlitz M, Schumacher JO. A model for planar self-breathing proton exchange membrane fuel cells in FEMLAB. Proceedings of COMSOL Multiphysics Conference, Cambridge, MA, 2005.
36. Wu H. Computational analysis on proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology. Master's Thesis, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ryerson University, 2005.
37. Eikerling M. Water management in cathode catalyst layers of PEM fuel cells: a structure-based model. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2006; 153: E58-E70.