Delamination evolution of PEM fuel cell membrane/CL interface under asymmetric RH cycling and CL crack location

Suhui Ma, Yanzhou Qin, Yuwen Liu, Liancheng Sun, Qiaoyu Guo and Yan Yin

Applied Energy, 2022, vol. 310, issue C, No S030626192200037X

Abstract: Asymmetric relative humidity (RH) cycling associated with the startup/shutdown processes can influence the characteristics of the initiation and evolution of mechanical damage in the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. In this study, we have established a 2D finite element model to study the evolution of the membrane/catalyst layer (CL) interface delamination under asymmetric RH cycling and CL crack location based on the cohesive zone model (CZM) method. Although it is difficult to validate the model by directly detecting the interface delamination length, the validated key parameters of the CZM method for interface delamination prediction are used to ensure the model accuracy. It is found that the shutdown duration effect on the membrane/CL interface delamination is greater than that of the startup duration effect for the asymmetric RH cycling with the same RH cycling period. This phenomenon weakens with the startup and shutdown durations, and the membrane/CL interface delamination is insensitive to the asymmetric effect when the startup and shutdown durations are both greater than 50 s. In order to slow down the mechanical degradation in the dynamic driving cycling, the startup and shutdown durations should not be too short, especially for the shutdown duration. The CL crack location also shows significant influence on the membrane/CL interface delamination, and asymmetric CL crack location aggravates the propagation of membrane/CL interface delamination for both symmetric and asymmetric RH cycling conditions.

Keywords: Relative humidity cycling; Asymmetric startup/shutdown process; Cohesive zone model; Delamination; Durability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.118551

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