Cold
start is a challenge for the proton exchange membrane fuel
cell, and understanding the heat transfer characteristics of solid–liquid
phase change in this process is necessary. An enthalpy-based lattice
Boltzmann model is established, and the heat transfer of ice melting
in in-plane and through-plane of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) is
studied. The effects of fiber diameter, double heat sources, and Rayleigh
number are analyzed. It is found that the fiber diameter has a significant
influence on heat transfer. The ice melting rate of XZ position is faster than other planes, and it has the best effect
when the diameter is 8 μm. The heat transfer of different heating
positions is analyzed, and it is found that the left-right-heated
has the highest melting efficiency. The heat sources location has
different effects on the heat transfer between the XY position (TP1) and YZ position (TP2). Although
the increase of Rayleigh number can enhance the convective heat transfer,
the change of melting efficiency is extremely small. The convective
heat transfer intensity has no direct effect on the ice melting of
GDL, and fiber plays a more critical role in the heat transfer of
ice melting.