2+1D modelling of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell with glassy-carbon microstructures

Juergen O. Schumacher, Jens Eller, Guido Sartoris, Thibaut Colinart and Bernhard C. Seyfang

Mathematical and Computer Modelling of Dynamical Systems, 2011, vol. 18, issue 4, 355-377

Abstract: A computationally efficient model of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) is presented, based on a 2+1D FEM modelling approach. This approach is suitable to take the high aspect ratio between the in-plane and the through-plane dimensions of fuel cells into account, and to avoid expensive 3D calculations. The anode and cathode are described by 2D transport models. The coupling between the anode and cathode side is established by a nonlinear point-to-point 1D model representing the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). This 1D boundary value problem is formulated using the computer algebra software Mathematica. The approach is based on the symbolic weak form expressions of a nonlinear system of PDEs. The integrands of the tangential element stiffness matrix and the element residual vector of the coupled FEM problem are computed analytically. These integrands are converted to C code automatically. The model is applied to simulate a micro PEFC without gas diffusion layers (GDLs). The simulations reveal an inhomogeneous in-plane electric current density. Further, neutron radiography data obtained with the micro fuel cell is compared to the calculated water flux between the 1D MEA model and the 2D domains. The model is used to explain the locations where water condensation is found.

Date: 2011
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/13873954.2011.642390 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:nmcmxx:v:18:y:2011:i:4:p:355-377

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/NMCM20

DOI: 10.1080/13873954.2011.642390

Access Statistics for this article

Mathematical and Computer Modelling of Dynamical Systems is currently edited by I. Troch

More articles in Mathematical and Computer Modelling of Dynamical Systems from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().