Author(s)

T. Berning & S. K. Kær

Abstract

Transport processes inside polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC’s) are highly complex and involve convective and diffusive multiphase, multispecies flow through porous media along with heat and mass transfer and electrochemical reactions in conjunction with water transport through an electrolyte membrane. We will present a computational model of a PEMFC with focus on capillary transport of water through the porous layers and phase change and discuss the impact of the liquid phase boundary condition between the porous gas diffusion layer and the flow channels, where water droplets can emerge and be entrained into the gas stream. Keywords: fuel cell modelling, multi-phase flow, GDL/channel interface.

Keywords

fuel cell modelling, multi-phase flow, GDL/channel interface