Numerical investigation of water transport in the PEMFC components

V. Gurau, T. A. Zawodzinski, J. A. Mann

Research output: Contribution to book or proceedingConference articlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

There are two competing mechanisms of water transfer between the ionomer distributed in the catalyst layer and the catalyst layer pores; these are: (i) sorption/desorption and (ii) water dragged by the protons engaged in the electrochemical reaction (the secondary current). The level at which water accumulates in GDLs is determined by the saturation equilibrium at the GDL-channel interface. The level at which water accumulates in the catalyst layer is determined by the GDL permeability and the saturation equilibrium at the GDL-catalyst layer interface. In the cathode flow domain mass is overall produced by (i) mass of protons crossing the double-layer and (ii) mass of water transferred between the ionomer distributed in the catalyst layer and the catalyst layer pores; for this reason the homogeneous multi-phase models based on the two-phase mixture model are inadequate to describe two-phase phenomena in PEMFCs. We propose a multi-phase, multi-fluid model that captures these phenomena. copyright The Electrochemical Society.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells 6
PublisherElectrochemical Society Inc.
Pages1095-1104
Number of pages10
Edition1
ISBN (Electronic)1566775019
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006
EventProton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells 6 - 210th Electrochemical Society Meeting - Cancun, Mexico
Duration: Oct 29 2006Nov 3 2006

Publication series

NameECS Transactions
Number1
Volume3
ISSN (Print)1938-5862
ISSN (Electronic)1938-6737

Conference

ConferenceProton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells 6 - 210th Electrochemical Society Meeting
Country/TerritoryMexico
CityCancun
Period10/29/0611/3/06

Scopus Subject Areas

  • General Engineering

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