Numerical and microfluidic pore networks: Towards designs for directed water transport in GDLs

Bazylak, Aimy; Berejnov, Viatcheslav; Markicevic, B.; Sinton, David; Djilali, Ned

doi:10.1016/j.electacta.2008.03.078

Cited by 84 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Bazylak et al have also shown that GDLs can be fabricated to give biased directional transport to liquid water by altering the average throat spacing [44], which is the same mechanism observed in the present study.…”

Section: Saturationsupporting

confidence: 71%

The effects of compression on single and multiphase flow in a model polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell gas diffusion layer

Tranter

Burns

Ingham

et al. 2015

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

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A two-dimensional study of an idealised fibrous medium representing the gas diffusion layer of a PEMFC is conducted using computational fluid dynamics. Beginning with an isotropic case the medium is compressed uni-directionally to observe the effects on single and multiphase flow. Relations between the compression ratio and the permeability of the medium are deduced and key parameters dictating the changes in flow are elucidated. The main conclusions are that whilst compression reduces the absolute permeability of an isotropic medium, the creation of anisotropic geometry results in preferential liquid water pathways. The most important parameter for capillary flow, in uniformly hydrophobic media, is the minimum fibre spacing normal to the flow path. The effect is less pronounced with decreasing contact angle and non-existent for neutrally wettable media.

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Section: Saturationsupporting

confidence: 71%

The effects of compression on single and multiphase flow in a model polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell gas diffusion layer

Tranter

Burns

Ingham

et al. 2015

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

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“…Liquid percolation is a capillary-force dominated process [19][20][21], wherein liquid water advances into a pore through a connecting throat, when the difference between the invading liquid pressure and the defending gas phase pressure exceeds the threshold capillary pressure of the throat. The GDL's liquid water saturation gradually increases until a breakthrough event occurs, which is defined as the moment when a connected water pathway through the thickness of the GDL is formed [22].…”

Section: Water Transport and Liquid Water Accumulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Liquid water saturation and oxygen transport resistance in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell gas diffusion layers

Muirhead

Banerjee

George

et al. 2018

Electrochimica Acta

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In this thesis, the relative humidity (RH) of the cathode reactant gas was investigated as a factor which influences gas diffusion layer (GDL) liquid water accumulation and mass transport-related efficiency losses over a range of operating current densities in a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Limiting current measurements were used to characterize fuel cell oxygen transport resistance while simultaneous measurements of liquid water accumulation were conducted using synchrotron X-ray radiography. GDL porosity distributions were characterized with micro-computed tomography (μCT). The work presented here can be used by researchers to develop improved numerical models to predict GDL liquid water accumulation and to inform the design of next-generation GDL materials to mitigate mass transport-related efficiency losses. This work also contributes an extensive set of concurrent performance and liquid water visualization data to the PEM fuel cell field that can be used for validating multiphase transport models.iii

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“…As for the present work, many of these studies are based on pore network models (PNM) (e.g., Sinha and Wang 2007;Markicevic et al 2007;Bazylak et al 2008;Hinebaugh et al 2010;Lee et al 2009Lee et al , 2010Lee et al , 2014Gostick 2013;Wu et al 2013;Fazeli et al 2015;Quin 2015).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Liquid Invasion from Multiple Inlet Sources and Optimal Gas Access in a Two-Layer Thin Porous Medium

et al. 2016

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OATAO is an open access repository that collects the work of Toulouse researchers and makes it freely available over the web where possible. Abstract This study builds upon previous work on single-layer invasion percolation in thin layers to incorporate a second layer with significantly different pore sizes and to study the impact of the resulting water configuration on gas-phase mass transport. We consider a situation where liquid water is injected at the assembly inlet through a series of independent injection points. The challenge is to ensure the transport of the liquid water while maintaining a good diffusive transport within the gas phase. The beneficial impact of the fine layer on the gas diffusion transport is shown. It is further shown that there exists a narrow range of fine layer thicknesses optimizing the gas transport. The results are discussed in relation with the water management issue in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Additional discussions, of more general interest in the context of thin porous system, are also offered.

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Numerical and microfluidic pore networks: Towards designs for directed water transport in GDLs

Cited by 84 publications

References 46 publications

The effects of compression on single and multiphase flow in a model polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell gas diffusion layer

The effects of compression on single and multiphase flow in a model polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell gas diffusion layer

Liquid water saturation and oxygen transport resistance in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell gas diffusion layers

Liquid Invasion from Multiple Inlet Sources and Optimal Gas Access in a Two-Layer Thin Porous Medium

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