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Gas Transport Properties in Gas Diffusion Layers: A Lattice Boltzmann Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 August 2015

Toshihisa Munekata ,
Takaji Inamuro  and
Shi-aki Hyodo
Toshihisa Munekata*
Affiliation:
Materials Design Laboratory, Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192, Japan Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
Takaji Inamuro*
Affiliation:
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan Advanced Research Institute of Fluid Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
Shi-aki Hyodo*
Affiliation:
Materials Design Laboratory, Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192, Japan
*
Corresponding author.Email:munekata@mosk.tytlabs.co.jp
Email:inamuro@kuaero.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Email:e0668@mosk.tytlabs.co.jp
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Abstract

The lattice Boltzmann method is applied to the investigations of the diffusivity and the permeability in the gas diffusion layer (GDL) of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC). The effects of the configuration of water droplets, the porosity of the GDL, the viscosity ratio of water to air, and the surface wettability of the GDL are investigated. From the simulations under the PEFC operating conditions, it is found that the heterogeneous water network and the high porosity improve the diffusivity and the permeability, and the hydrophobic surface decreases the permeability.

Keywords

76S0576R5076R0576M28Diffusivitypermeabilitylattice Boltzmann methodgas diffusion layer
Type
Research Article
Information
Communications in Computational Physics , Volume 9 , Issue 5 , May 2011 , pp. 1335 - 1346
Copyright
Copyright © Global Science Press Limited 2011

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