Application of lattice Boltzmann method to a micro-scale flow simulation in the porous electrode of a PEM fuel cell

Park, J.; Matsubara, Masaaki; Li, X.

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2007.04.021

Cited by 100 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Figure 10b shows the corresponding degrees of anisotropy as calculated by Eq. (11). Figure 10a indicates that when a pressure difference is applied in the through-plane direction, the simultaneous off-principal permeability values are generally at least one order of magnitude less at all levels of compression.…”

Section: Effects Of Compression On Structure and Psdmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The lattice itself can be a discrete multi-dimensional representation of a substance which contains a complex porous network; the internal geometric features of the GDL can be readily accommodated without invoking a heavy computational burden. A number of studies have focused on simulating the anisotropic permeability of 2D and 3D carbon cloth and carbon paper GDL structures [9][10][11][12] while other efforts have focused on developed two-phase LB methods and applied them to study the dynamics of liquid water through the GDL [13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. These studies all invariably rely upon stochastic techniques to recreate digital models of the GDL for the lattice.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Numerical Study of Structural Change and Anisotropic Permeability in Compressed Carbon Cloth Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Gas Diffusion Layers

et al. 2010

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The effect of compression on the actual structure and transport properties of the carbon cloth gas diffusion layer (GDL) of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) are studied here. Structural features of GDL samples compressed in the 0.0–100.0 MPa range are encapsulated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and by employing X‐ray micro‐tomography to reconstruct direct digital 3D models. Pore size distribution (PSD) and porosity data are acquired directly from these models while permeability, degree of anisotropy and tortuosity are determined through lattice Boltzmann (LB) numerical modelling. The structural models reveal that structural change proceeds through a three‐step process, while PSD data suggests a characteristic peak in the pore diameter of 10–14 μm and a decrease in the mean pore diameter from 33 to 12 μm over the range of tested pressures. A mathematical relationship between compression pressure and permeability is determined based on the Kozeny–Carman equation, revealing a one order of magnitude reduction in through‐plane permeability for a two order of magnitude increase in pressure. The results also reveal that the degree of anisotropy peaks in the range of 0.3–10.0 MPa, suggesting that in‐plane permeability can be maximised relative to through‐plane permeability within a material‐specific range of compression pressures.

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Section: Effects Of Compression On Structure and Psdmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Numerical Study of Structural Change and Anisotropic Permeability in Compressed Carbon Cloth Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Gas Diffusion Layers

et al. 2010

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“…Park et al studied the permeability of porous media by modeling, and pointed out that the effective permeability is doubled for the fi ber orientation parallel with the mean fl ow direction, when compared to the case of the fi bers normal to the mean fl ow direction. [ 30 ] Therefore, the well-aligned CNTs can also facilitate the ion (I 3 − ) transportation effi ciently and decrease the charge transfer resistance. As shown in Table S2 (Supporting Information), the charge transfer resistance at the interface between electrolyte and the VACNT/GP fi lm is smaller than that at the TCNT/GP fi lm and the GP interfaces.…”

Section: Supporting Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes Grown on Graphene Paper as Electrodes in Lithium‐Ion Batteries and Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Luo

et al. 2011

Advanced Energy Materials

318

181

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Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) possess the advantages of a high degree of order, good controllability, and easy manipulation. Thus, their synthesis, properties, and potential for applications have been intensively investigated. [1][2][3][4][5] VACNTs are usually grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on substrates with pre-deposited catalysts. Due to the rigorous CVD synthesis conditions, substrates employed for VACNT growth should be thermally and chemically stable materials, such as SiO 2 /Si, Al 2 O 3 , or quartz. A problem thus arising is that these substrates are usually insulators, which hampers the direct application of VACNTs in those areas that require desirable integrated electrical and thermal conductivities. [ 6 ] For example, a mismatching problem often emerges when assembling devices based on VACNTs due to the rigidity and poor conductivity of the substrates. To solve this problem, some researchers have developed multiform but complicated methods to transfer VACNTs from the insulating substrates to conducting substrates by post-synthesis processing, which facilitates the application of VACNTs in some electronic devices, such as fi eld emitters. [ 7,8 ] On the other hand, Tatsuki et al. reported direct growth of VACNTs on Ni-based alloy foils. [ 9 ] Although excellent fi eld emission homogeneity was demonstrated, the 30 nm thick alumina buffer layer deposited between the metal substrate and catalyst fi lm weakens the electrical contact and mechanical adhesion between the VACNTs and the metal substrate. The incompatible thermal expansion coeffi cients of alumina and metal may also lead to detaching of the VACNTs and the alumina buffer layer from the metal substrate.Graphene is a newly discovered 2D carbon material with excellent conductivity, mechanical properties, [ 10,11 ] and more importantly, compatibility with CNTs. Therefore, graphene can be an ideal substrate for VACNT growth. Recently, Lee et al. demonstrated the growth of VACNTs on a ∼ 7 nm thick reduced graphene fi lm supported by silicon wafer. The VACNT/ graphene hybrid fi lm infi ltrated with a poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) elastomer displayed good mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and fi eld emission performance. [ 12 ] Nitrogendoped VACNTs grown on mechanically compliant graphene fi lm for a fl exible fi eld emitter were also demonstrated by Lee et al. [ 13 ] Jeong et al. reported a flexible room temperature NO 2 gas sensor consisting of a VACNT/reduced graphene hybrid film supported by a polyimide substrate. [ 14 ] Paul et al. prepared a 3D pillared graphene nanostructure comprising graphene and aligned carbon nanotubes by a one-step CVD method. [ 15 ] Zhang et al. demonstrated desirable visible light photocatalytic performance for a 3D pillared CNT/reduced graphene oxide composite material. [ 16 ] Fan et al. prepared a 3D CNT/graphene sandwich with short CNT pillars ( ∼ 100 nm in length) grown between graphene layers or by ultrasonicating purifi ed, shortcut CNTs in a graphene oxide suspension followed b...

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“…Sinha et al [27] performed a two-phase LBM simulation to study the effects of wetting property on the liquid water dynamic behaviors in a reconstructed carbon-paper GDL. Park et al [28] conducted an LBM simulation of the liquid droplet transport through a GDL made of woven carbon cloth. Hao et al [29,30] used a free-energy LBM to study the dynamic behaviors of liquid droplets in the gas channel and analyzed the effects of the micro-scale porous structure on the relative permeability of a porous material.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Three-Dimensional Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Liquid Water Transport in Porous Layer of PEMFC

Han

Meng

2015

Entropy

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A three-dimensional two-phase lattice Boltzmann model (LBM) is implemented and validated for qualitative study of the fundamental phenomena of liquid water transport in the porous layer of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In the present study, the three-dimensional microstructures of a porous layer are numerically reconstructed by a random generation method. The LBM simulations focus on the effects of the porous layer porosity and boundary liquid saturation on liquid water transport in porous materials. Numerical results confirm that liquid water transport is strongly affected by the microstructures in a porous layer, and the transport process prefers the large pores as its main pathway. The preferential transport phenomenon is more profound with a decreased porous layer porosity and/or boundary liquid saturation. In the transport process, the breakup of a liquid water stream can occur under certain conditions, leading to the formation of liquid droplets inside the porous layer. This phenomenon is related to the connecting bridge or neck resistance dictated by the surface tension, and happens more frequently with a smaller porous layer porosity. Results indicate that an optimized design of porous layer porosity and the combination of various pore sizes may improve both the liquid water removal and gaseous reactant transport in the porous layer of a PEMFC.

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Application of lattice Boltzmann method to a micro-scale flow simulation in the porous electrode of a PEM fuel cell

Cited by 100 publications

References 34 publications

A Numerical Study of Structural Change and Anisotropic Permeability in Compressed Carbon Cloth Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Gas Diffusion Layers

A Numerical Study of Structural Change and Anisotropic Permeability in Compressed Carbon Cloth Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Gas Diffusion Layers

Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes Grown on Graphene Paper as Electrodes in Lithium‐Ion Batteries and Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Three-Dimensional Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Liquid Water Transport in Porous Layer of PEMFC

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