A Multi-Fluid Model for Water and Methanol Transport in a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Direct-methanol fuel cell (DMFC) systems are comparatively simple, sometimes just requiring a cartridge and stack with appropriate control devices. The key challenge in these is the accurate determination of flow rates mixture methanol water, fundamental understanding can be gained by computational fluid dynamics. In this work, three-dimensional, steady-state, two-phase, multi-component non-isothermal DMFC model presented. based on Eulerian approach, it account for gas liquid transport porous media subject to mixed wettability, i.e., simultaneous presence hydrophilic hydrophobic pores. Other phenomena considered variations surface tension due water–methanol mixing capillary pressure at diffusion layer–channel interface. Another important aspect modeling water across membrane. model, non-equilibrium sorption–desorption, electro-osmotic drag both species included. validated against experimental measurements, used study interaction between volume porosity anode layer boundary condition anode, how affects performance limiting current density.