The gas diffusion layer in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: A process model of the two-phase flow

A two-phase flow process model for the gas diffusion layer (GDL) of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, considering also the cathode catalyst layer (CL), is presented. For this purpose, a systematic analysis of the factors affecting flooding and drying, including the liquid accumulation in the gas channel (CH), was performed using a one-dimensional reference model for the GDL and a compact channel model. The treatment proposed for the CH–GDL interface was compared with other boundary conditions in the literature. It was concluded that the liquid accumulation in the channel is determinant for estimating the steady state and transient GDL flooding, but that predicting the saturation level in the CL can help for determining operation policies for precluding flooding in the GDL–CL composite, in the absence of an adequate channel model. Bifurcation behavior, associated with the water phase change, was identified by means of the compact model.