A 2D dynamic pore network model is employed to study the liquid water saturation from condensation originating from a single nucleation site within the gas diffusion layer (GDL) of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). A complete derivation of the model along with the physical parameters is provided in this paper. Sensitivity analyses are performed to determine how the overall saturation pattern is affected by the following two parameters: condensation rate and nucleation site location. Our results indicate that when considering an initially dry GDL under typical PEMFC operating conditions, fluctuations in condensation rate have little impact on the overall saturation pattern compared to changes in condensation nucleation site location. We observe significant reductions in both overall saturation and local saturation near the catalyst layer as the condensation nucleation site is placed further away from the catalyst layer.

This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.