Transport Parameter Correlations for Digitally Created PEFC Gas Diffusion Layers by Using OpenPNM
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Encalada Dávila, Ángel; Espinoza Andaluz, Mayken; Barzola Monteses, Julio; Li, Shian; Andersson, MartinEditorial
MDPI
Materia
Delaunay tessellation Gas diffusion layer OpenPNM Polymer electrolyte fuel cell Transport parameters Voronoi algorithm
Date
2021Referencia bibliográfica
Encalada-Dávila, Á.; Espinoza-Andaluz, M.; Barzola-Monteses, J.; Li, S.; Andersson, M. Transport Parameter Correlations for Digitally Created PEFC Gas Diffusion Layers by Using OpenPNM. Processes 2021, 9, 1141. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9071141
Sponsorship
ESPOL - FIMCP-CERA-05-2017Abstract
A polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) is an electrochemical device that converts chemical
energy into electrical energy and heat. The energy conversion is simple; however, the multiphysics
phenomena involved in the energy conversion process must be analyzed in detail. The gas diffusion
layer (GDL) provides a diffusion media for reactant gases and gives mechanical support to the
fuel cell. It is a complex medium whose properties impact the fuel cell’s efficiency. Therefore, an
in-depth analysis is required to improve its mechanical and physical properties. In the current study,
several transport phenomena through three-dimensional digitally created GDLs have been analyzed.
Once the porous microstructure is generated and the transport phenomena are mimicked, transport
parameters related to the fluid flow and mass diffusion are computed. The GDLs are approximated
to the carbon paper represented as a grouped package of carbon fibers. Several correlations, based
on the fiber diameter, to predict their transport properties are proposed. The digitally created GDLs
and the transport phenomena have been modeled using the open-source library named Open Pore
Network Modeling (OpenPNM). The proposed correlations show a good fit with the obtained data
with an R-square of approximately 0.98.