Heat transfer through the gas diffusion layer (GDL) of a PEM fuel cell is a key process in the design and operation a PEM fuel cell. The analysis of this process requires determination of the effective thermal conductivity as well as the thermal contact resistance between the GDL and adjacent surfaces/layers. In the present study, a guarded-hot-plate apparatus has been designed and built to measure the effective thermal conductivity and thermal contact resistance in GDLs under vacuum and atmospheric pressure. Toray carbon papers with the porosity of 78% and different thicknesses are used in the experiments under a wide range of compressive loads. Moreover, novel analytical models are developed for the effective thermal conductivity and thermal contact resistance and compared against the present experimental data. Results show good agreements between the experimental data and the analytical models. It is observed that the thermal contact resistance is the dominant component of the total thermal resistance and neglecting this phenomenon may result in enormous errors.
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ASME 2010 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition
November 12–18, 2010
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Conference Sponsors:
- ASME
ISBN:
978-0-7918-4444-1
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Effect of Compression on the Effective Thermal Conductivity and Thermal Contact Resistance in PEM Fuel Cell Gas Diffusion Layers
Ehsan Sadeghi,
Ehsan Sadeghi
University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
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Ned Djilali,
Ned Djilali
University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
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Majid Bahrami
Majid Bahrami
Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC, Canada
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Ehsan Sadeghi
University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
Ned Djilali
University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
Majid Bahrami
Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC, Canada
Paper No:
IMECE2010-39284, pp. 385-393; 9 pages
Published Online:
April 30, 2012
Citation
Sadeghi, E, Djilali, N, & Bahrami, M. "Effect of Compression on the Effective Thermal Conductivity and Thermal Contact Resistance in PEM Fuel Cell Gas Diffusion Layers." Proceedings of the ASME 2010 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. Volume 7: Fluid Flow, Heat Transfer and Thermal Systems, Parts A and B. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. November 12–18, 2010. pp. 385-393. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2010-39284
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