Pore‐scale analysis of a PEM fuel cell cathode including carbon cloth gas diffusion layer by lattice Boltzmann method

Abstract

Abstract One of the parameters which can greatly affect (i.e., enhances or diminishes) the performance of a PEM fuel cell cathode is the GDL microstructure. In the present study, the role of carbon cloth GDL microstructure on the performance of a PEM fuel cell cathode is investigated, for the first time. In this regard, three carbon cloth GDLs with three different microstructures are reconstructed via merging bundles of carbon fibers with sinusoidal form; afterward, the passing reactive air through these GDLs is simulated at pore‐scale using lattice Boltzmann approach. The distributions of oxygen and water vapor through the carbon cloths and the distribution of current density on the catalyst layers are presented and analyzed. The results show that when the carbon cloth bundles consist of more fibers (i.e., having larger cross‐sections), the penetration of oxygen toward the catalyst layer is more difficult, and consequently, the average current density is smaller. Besides, the results reveal that the through‐plane compactness of carbon cloth microstructure does not bring a significant effect on the distribution of current density and species.

Key findings

• ▸The penetration of oxygen toward the catalyst layer is more difficult when the carbon cloth bundles consist of more fibers.
• ▸The average current density is smaller when the carbon cloth bundles consist of more fibers.
• ▸The through-plane compactness of carbon cloth microstructure has a negligible effect on the distribution of current density and species.

Keywords

Identifiers

DOI

10.1002/fuce.202000191

Journal

Fuel Cells

Year

2021