Pore-Network Modeling of Water and Vapor Transport in the Micro Porous Layer and Gas Diffusion Layer of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell

Pore-Network Modeling of Water and Vapor Transport in the Micro Porous Layer and Gas Diffusion Layer of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell

In the cathode side of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a micro porous layer (MPL) added between the catalyst layer (CL) and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) plays an important role in water management. In this work, by using both quasi-static and dynamic pore-network models, water and vapor tra...

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Main Authors: Chao-Zhong Qin, S. Majid Hassanizadeh, Lucas M. Van Oosterhout
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2016-05-01
Series:Computation
Subjects:
micro porous layer (MPL)
gas diffusion layer (GDL)
pore-network modeling
water management
phase change
polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC)
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2079-3197/4/2/21
id doaj-e3a0a43eaf274e1e8a88841fbb57e876
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spelling doaj-e3a0a43eaf274e1e8a88841fbb57e8762020-11-24T20:50:13ZengMDPI AGComputation2079-31972016-05-01422110.3390/computation4020021computation4020021Pore-Network Modeling of Water and Vapor Transport in the Micro Porous Layer and Gas Diffusion Layer of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel CellChao-Zhong Qin0S. Majid Hassanizadeh1Lucas M. Van Oosterhout2Integrated Experimental and Computational Laboratory for Porous Media Research, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Utrecht, Princetonplein 9, P.O. Box 80021, 3508 TA Utrecht, The NetherlandsIntegrated Experimental and Computational Laboratory for Porous Media Research, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Utrecht, Princetonplein 9, P.O. Box 80021, 3508 TA Utrecht, The NetherlandsIntegrated Experimental and Computational Laboratory for Porous Media Research, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Utrecht, Princetonplein 9, P.O. Box 80021, 3508 TA Utrecht, The NetherlandsIn the cathode side of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a micro porous layer (MPL) added between the catalyst layer (CL) and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) plays an important role in water management. In this work, by using both quasi-static and dynamic pore-network models, water and vapor transport in the MPL and GDL has been investigated. We illustrated how the MPL improved water management in the cathode. Furthermore, it was found that dynamic liquid water transport in the GDL was very sensitive to the built-up thermal gradient along the through-plane direction. Thus, we may control water vapor condensation only along GDL-land interfaces by properly adjusting the GDL thermal conductivity. Our numerical results can provide guidelines for optimizing GDL pore structures for good water management.http://www.mdpi.com/2079-3197/4/2/21micro porous layer (MPL)gas diffusion layer (GDL)pore-network modelingwater managementphase changepolymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC)
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Chao-Zhong Qin
S. Majid Hassanizadeh
Lucas M. Van Oosterhout
spellingShingle Chao-Zhong Qin
S. Majid Hassanizadeh
Lucas M. Van Oosterhout
Pore-Network Modeling of Water and Vapor Transport in the Micro Porous Layer and Gas Diffusion Layer of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell
Computation
micro porous layer (MPL)
gas diffusion layer (GDL)
pore-network modeling
water management
phase change
polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC)
author_facet Chao-Zhong Qin
S. Majid Hassanizadeh
Lucas M. Van Oosterhout
author_sort Chao-Zhong Qin
title Pore-Network Modeling of Water and Vapor Transport in the Micro Porous Layer and Gas Diffusion Layer of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell
title_short Pore-Network Modeling of Water and Vapor Transport in the Micro Porous Layer and Gas Diffusion Layer of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell
title_full Pore-Network Modeling of Water and Vapor Transport in the Micro Porous Layer and Gas Diffusion Layer of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell
title_fullStr Pore-Network Modeling of Water and Vapor Transport in the Micro Porous Layer and Gas Diffusion Layer of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell
title_full_unstemmed Pore-Network Modeling of Water and Vapor Transport in the Micro Porous Layer and Gas Diffusion Layer of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell
title_sort pore-network modeling of water and vapor transport in the micro porous layer and gas diffusion layer of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell
publisher MDPI AG
series Computation
issn 2079-3197
publishDate 2016-05-01
description In the cathode side of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a micro porous layer (MPL) added between the catalyst layer (CL) and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) plays an important role in water management. In this work, by using both quasi-static and dynamic pore-network models, water and vapor transport in the MPL and GDL has been investigated. We illustrated how the MPL improved water management in the cathode. Furthermore, it was found that dynamic liquid water transport in the GDL was very sensitive to the built-up thermal gradient along the through-plane direction. Thus, we may control water vapor condensation only along GDL-land interfaces by properly adjusting the GDL thermal conductivity. Our numerical results can provide guidelines for optimizing GDL pore structures for good water management.
topic micro porous layer (MPL)
gas diffusion layer (GDL)
pore-network modeling
water management
phase change
polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC)
url http://www.mdpi.com/2079-3197/4/2/21
work_keys_str_mv AT chaozhongqin porenetworkmodelingofwaterandvaportransportinthemicroporouslayerandgasdiffusionlayerofapolymerelectrolytefuelcell
AT smajidhassanizadeh porenetworkmodelingofwaterandvaportransportinthemicroporouslayerandgasdiffusionlayerofapolymerelectrolytefuelcell
AT lucasmvanoosterhout porenetworkmodelingofwaterandvaportransportinthemicroporouslayerandgasdiffusionlayerofapolymerelectrolytefuelcell
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