Effect of anisotropic electrical resistivity of gas diffusion layers (GDLs) on current density and temperature distribution in a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell

A two-dimensional two-phase model is used to analyze the effects of anisotropic electrical resistivity on current density and temperature distribution in a PEM fuel cell. It is observed that a higher in-plane electrical resistivity of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) adversely affects the current density in the region adjacent to the gas channel and generates slightly higher current densities in the region adjacent to the current collector. Also, in case of GDLs with high anisotropic thermal conductivity, the maximum and minimum temperatures in a cathode catalyst layer depend on the average current density and not the local current density.