Effect of the Capillary Forces in Porous Electrodes on the Voltage-Current Characteristic of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

摘要

An isothermal model of the cathode part of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell is considered with allowance for capillary forces. Numerical and analytical solutions show that the capillary forces have a fundamental effect on the voltage-current characteristic because of an abrupt increase in the diffusion loss of oxygen through a thin liquid film emerging in nonwettable pores of the cathode in comparison with the ordinary diffusion in gas channels. The results obtained agree well with known experimental data.