A lumped parameter model of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell

A model of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) is developed that captures dynamic behaviour for control purposes. The model is mathematically simple, but accounts for the essential phenomena that define PEFC performance. In particular, performance depends principally on humidity, temperature and gas pressure in the fuel cell system. To simulate accurately PEFC operation, the effects of water transport, hydration in the membrane, temperature, and mass transport in the fuel cells system are simultaneously coupled in the model. The PEFC model address three physically distinctive fuel cell components, namely, the anode channel, the cathode channel, and the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The laws of mass and energy conservation are applied to describe each physical component as a control volume. In addition, the MEA model includes a steady-state electrochemical model, which consists of membrane hydration and the stack voltage models.

[1]  Adam Z. Weber,et al.  Transport in Polymer-Electrolyte Membranes III. Model Validation in a Simple Fuel-Cell Model , 2004 .

[2]  Biao Zhou,et al.  Water and thermal management for Ballard PEM fuel cell stack , 2005 .

[3]  Paola Costamagna,et al.  Quantum jumps in the PEMFC science and technology from the 1960s to the year 2000 ☆: Part II. Engineering, technology development and application aspects , 2001 .

[4]  T. Nguyen,et al.  An Along‐the‐Channel Model for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells , 1998 .

[5]  S. Srinivasan,et al.  Quantum jumps in the PEMFC science and technology from the 1960s to the year 2000 Part I. Fundamental scientific aspects , 2001 .

[6]  Adam Z. Weber,et al.  Transport in Polymer-Electrolyte Membranes I. Physical Model , 2004 .

[7]  Nigel M. Sammes,et al.  System level lumped-parameter dynamic modeling of PEM fuel cell , 2004 .

[8]  J. C. Amphlett.  Performance Modeling of the Ballard Mark IV Solid Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell , 1995 .

[9]  J. C. Amphlett,et al.  A model predicting transient responses of proton exchange membrane fuel cells , 1996 .

[10]  T. Springer,et al.  Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Model , 1991 .

[11]  Frank P. Incropera,et al.  Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer , 1981 .

[12]  John Evans,et al.  Experimental Evaluation of the Effect of Inlet Gas Humidification on Fuel Cell Performance , 2003 .

[13]  A. Weber,et al.  Transport in Polymer-Electrolyte Membranes II. Mathematical Model , 2004 .

[14]  J. C. Amphlett,et al.  Performance modeling of the Ballard Mark IV solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell. II: Empirical model development , 1995 .