Numerical Analysis of Liquid and Heat Transfer in Heterogeneous GDL

Abstract

It is important to investigate the two-phase condition in PEFC gas diffusion layer (GDL) to improve mass transfer rate. In order to calculate liquid and heat transfer in heterogeneous GDL, the multi-calculation network model which consists of pore section and fiber section was developed on the basis of the structure of simulated GDL. And the influence of the temperature distribution on the condition of staying liquid water was examined by this model for internal condensation. As a result, it was found that the nonisothermal calculation was indispensable to examine the condition of liquid water in detail. In addition, the conditions of staying liquid water and the cell voltage were differed by each contact angle, and it was found that the performance of mass transfer was affected by not only the value of saturation but also the effective pore structure formed by staying liquid water.