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Recently, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have attracted increasing attention due to their potential for sustainable energy production [1]. PEMFCs are considered a compelling choice due to their rapid start-up, high energy conversion efficiency, and minimal environmental impact [2]. However, to promote their usability, careful thermal and water management is necessary to sustain their performance and durability [3]. The membrane, typically composed of Nafion, exhibits a porous nanostructure where the pore size distribution (PSD) plays a critical role in governing coupled heat and mass transport [4].
Several studies have focused on modeling of water transport and diffusivity in porous media of PEMFC. Chaudhary et al. [5] modeled water uptake in the membrane of PEMFC, considering a two-phase flow of water and water vapor, using two different approaches for water uptake. Dou et al. [6] modeled water distribution in the cathode catalyst layer (CCL) of PEMFC. The results showed a significant effect of wetting conditions on the distribution of condensed water, with the hydrophilic CCL being more susceptible to flooding. Song et al. [7] reconstructed a pore-scale model to study interparticle transport and electrochemical reactions in CCL. At high Nafion concentration, the distribution of proton current density at the Pt/Nafion interface is adequate and even. Zhang et al. [8] conducted a pore network modeling (PNM) study on GDL. The results indicate that porosity significantly affects fluid transport, whereas water inlet pressure is primarily influenced by wettability.
In this work, we employ transient, single-phase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling to analyze the effect of pore size variations on the mass transport in the Nafion membrane. To this end, three different synthesized porous media structures with varying pore-size distributions will be prepared as representative volume elements (RVE). Then, the mass transfer inside such a medium will be examined, using the Navier-Stokes equations. The model considers water transfer inside the porous media with varying pore sizes and inlet fluid velocity. In addition, the pressure drops as the fluid moves in this region will be examined.
Results will include a correlation between the PSD and liquid-phase transfer. Additionally, the analyses will elucidate the relationships among PSD, inlet velocity, and pressure drop within the membrane. Intuitively, the pressure drop would be directly proportional to the inlet velocity, meaning that higher inlet velocities correspond to larger pressure drops. We believe that larger pores can promote water diffusivity, and a broader PSD may be more preferred for mass transfer in the membrane section of PEMFCs. These findings will highlight the potential trade-off between PSD and the pressure drop in PEM membranes and provide design guidelines for engineering next-generation membranes with tailored pore architectures. The study will establish a framework for modeling porous polymer electrolytes, enabling optimization of structural parameters to balance durability and performance in PEMFC applications.
| References | [1] M. Rayhani, C. Jian, A review of molecular dynamic simulation on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, J Power Sources 657 (2025) 238143. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2025.238143. [2] H. Zhang, X. Shao, Z. Zhan, M. Sarker, P.-C. Sui, P.-Y.A. Chuang, M. Pan, Pore-Scale Modeling of Microporous Layer for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell: Effective Transport Properties, Membranes (Basel) 13 (2023) 219. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13020219. [3] A. Kopanidis, A. Theodorakakos, M. Gavaises, D. Bouris, Pore scale 3D modelling of heat and mass transfer in the gas diffusion layer and cathode channel of a PEM fuel cell, International Journal of Thermal Sciences 50 (2011) 456–467. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2010.11.014. [4] T. Berning, On the nature of electro-osmotic drag, Energies (Basel) 13 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/en13184726. [5] S. Chaudhary, V.K. Sachan, P.K. Bhattacharya, Two dimensional modelling of water uptake in proton exchange membrane fuel cell, Int J Hydrogen Energy 39 (2014) 17802–17818. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2014.08.128. [6] S. Dou, L. Hao, H. Liu, Effects of liquid water on the pore structure and transport coefficients in the cathode catalyst layer of PEM fuel cells, Int J Hydrogen Energy 47 (2022) 41138–41153. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.09.187. [7] H. Song, X. Shao, H. Zhang, P. Jiang, X. Wen, Z. Zhan, Effects of Nafion content in the catalyst layer of PEMFC on the transport phenomenon among nanoscale particles, Int J Hydrogen Energy 67 (2024) 282–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJHYDENE.2024.04.115. [8] N. Zhang, W. Chen, H. Zhou, Q. Deng, B. Chen, Pore-scale modeling of gas diffusion layers: Investigation of gas-liquid two-phase transport properties, Int J Heat Mass Transf 230 (2024) 125775. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2024.125775. |
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| Country | Canada |
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