Nonisothermal PEM Fuel Cell
Application ID: 102461
This tutorial models the intercoupled electrochemical reactions, charge and species transport as well as heat transfer in a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell.
For the gas flow fields, straight channels are used on the hydrogen anode side, whereas a mesh structure is used on the air cathode side. The cell is cooled by a cooling fluid, flowing in a separate channel.
Periodic temperature boundary conditions are used for the top and bottom boundaries, thereby emulating a stacked cell configuration. Electroosmotic transport (drag) and permeation of water through the membrane are also included in the model.
This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products:
however, additional products may be required to completely define and model it. Furthermore, this example may also be defined and modeled using components from the following product combinations:
The combination of COMSOL® products required to model your application depends on several factors and may include boundary conditions, material properties, physics interfaces, and part libraries. Particular functionality may be common to several products. To determine the right combination of products for your modeling needs, review the Specification Chart and make use of a free evaluation license. The COMSOL Sales and Support teams are available for answering any questions you may have regarding this.