Journal of Jilin University(Engineering and Technology Edition) ›› 2022, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (9): 2055-2062.doi: 10.13229/j.cnki.jdxbgxb20220142

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Anisotropic transport properties of gas diffusion layer based on pore⁃scale model

Heng ZHANG1,2(),Zhi-gang ZHAN2(),Ben CHEN3,Pang-chieh SUI3,Mu PAN2   

  1. 1.Foshan Xianhu Laboratory of the Advanced Energy Science and Technology Guangdong Laboratory,Foshan 528200,China
    2.State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing,Wuhan University of Technology,Wuhan 430070,China
    3.School of Automotive Engineering,Wuhan University of Technology,Wuhan 430070,China
  • Received:2022-02-19 Online:2022-09-01 Published:2022-09-13
  • Contact: Zhi-gang ZHAN E-mail:hzhang1027@163.com;zzg-j@163.com

Abstract:

To study the effect of porosity in the gas diffusion layer (GDL) of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell on the anisotropic transport properties, stochastic numerical method was used to reconstruct the 3-D microstructure of the Toray TGP-H GDL. The anisotropy of carbon fiber distribution and all phases in the gas diffusion layer including pores, carbon fibers, binder, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were taken into account in the reconstructed structure. The pore-scale model was employed to obtain the relationship between porosity and effective gas diffusivity, tortuosity, liquid water permeability, effective electrical and thermal conductivity in the in-plane and through-plane. The results show that the porosity has a significant effect on the transport properties, and the transport properties of the Toray TGP-H GDL have obvious anisotropy in the in-plane and through-plane.

Key words: proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC), gas diffusion layer, transport properties, anisotropy, pore size model

CLC Number: 

  • TM911.4

Fig.1

3D stochastic carbon fiber reconstructed distribution and different cross-sections in the XY plane"

Fig.2

GDL microstructure reconstruction processes for stochastic-numerical method"

Fig.3

3-D rendering of the stochastic"

Table 1

Boundary conditions"

参数边界118边界218
cO2/10-6 mol cm-398.9
?s/V0.690.7
T/K349.9350

Fig.4

Porosity and pore size distribution"

Fig.5

Relationship between the D/Deff and tortuosity and the porosity"

Table 2

Relationship between the anisotropic transport properties of GDL and porosity"

厚度方向(TP)平面内方向(IP)
方程R2方程R2
D/Deff1.15ε-3.180.970.74ε-3.020.96
τ1.15ε-2.180.970.74ε-2.020.97
K/[W·(m·K)-1423.4e-7.27ε0.96200e-4.31ε0.97
σe/(S·m-1296 342e-7.27ε0.98139 764e-4.31ε0.98
κ/μm20.008 3e8.04ε0.980.063 6e6.41ε0.97

Fig.6

Relationship between the electrical and thermal conductivity and the porosity"

Fig.7

Relationship between the permeabilityand the porosity"

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