Conference article

This paper presents a comprehensive; consistent and systematic mathematical modeling for PEM fuel cells that can be used as the general formulation for the simulation and analysis of PEM fuel cells. As an illustration; the model is applied to an isothermal; steady state; two-dimensional PEM fuel cell at different operation voltages to investigate the fuel cells performance parameters such as the mass concentration; the velocity distribution of reactant; current density distribution; and polarization curve. The model includes the transport of gas in the gas flow channels; electrode backing and catalyst layers; the transport of water and hydronium in the polymer electrolyte of the catalyst and polymer electrolyte layers; and the transport of electrical current in the solid phase. Water and ion transport in the polymer electrolyte has been modeled using the generalized Stefan–Maxwell equations. Moreover; the reactant gas flow in the gas channel has been modeled by continuity and the steady state incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. All of the model equations are solved with finite element method using commercial software package COMSOL Multi physics. The results from PEM fuel cell modeling at different operation voltages are then compared with each other and finally according to the results; the strategy to improve fuel cell performance with the target of reducing cost is introduced.

PEM fuel cell; Mathematical modeling; Finite element; COMSOL multi physic