Microstructure Reconstruction and Transport Simulation in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Abstract

The polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) consists of disparate porous media microstructures, e.g. catalyst layer, microporous layer, gas diffusion layer, as the key components for achieving the desired performance attributes. The microstructure-transport interactions are of paramount importance to the performance and durability of the PEFC. In this chapter, a systematic description of the stochastic microstructure reconstruction techniques along with the numerical methods to estimate effective transport properties and to study the influence of the porous structures on the underlying transport behavior is presented.