Numerical simulation of a PEM fuel cell: Effect of tortuosity parameters on the construction of polarization curves |
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Affiliation: | 1. Unidad de Energía Renovable, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, Parque Científico Tecnológico de Yucatán, Carretera Sierra Papacal – Chuburná Puerto, km 5, Sierra Papacal, Mérida, Yucatán, 97302. Mexico;2. Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Carmen, Campus III, Avenida Central S/N, Esq. con Fracc. Mundo Maya, 24115, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico |
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Abstract: | Fuel cells (PEMFCs) are considered a clean alternative for the production of electricity. To improve their efficiency, it is necessary to understand the transport phenomena that determine their performance. This work analyzes the effective diffusion coefficients in the gas diffusion and catalyst layers (GDL and CL, respectively) based on theories such as effective medium approximation and percolation theory of a 3D multiphase nonisothermal model of a single channel PEMFC. We calculate polarization curves with different effective diffusion models and tortuosity factors m, n using OpenFOAM. The best model that approaches to experimental data is the Tomadakis-Sotirchos model with n = 4.0. The exponent m that represents the tortuosity due to the geometry has a high impact on the polarization curve construction compared to the exponent n. High values of diffusibility do not mean high values of current densities showing that there are other phenomena involved, such as water flooding. |
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Keywords: | Effective diffusion Proton exchange membrane Fuel cell Mass transport Diffusibility |
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