A Multiphase, Two-Fluid Model for Water Transport in a PEM Fuel Cell

摘要

A finite volume based computational method for predicting two-phase flows in fuel cells is presented. The model formulation and numerical algorithms are selected to provide robustness and accuracy, while allowing the treatment of important phenomena relevant to fuel cell water management such as segregation of the phases to form films and slugs in gas channels. Variations in the algorithms for computing pressure corrections and phase fractions are assessed using water-air flows in fuel cell channel geometries. The accuracy of the model is evaluated by comparison to benchmark simulations, measured pressure drop data for air-water flows, and analytical solutions for capillary pressure in porous media. The results indicate that the selected formulation is sufficiently stable and accurate to serve as the basis for a detailed model of water transport in fuel cells.