Investigations on heat and mass transfer in gas diffusion layers of PEMFC with a gas–liquid-solid coupled model

Improvement of heat and water management in gas diffusion layers (GDL) is a critical issue to high-performance proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). In this study, we develop gas–liquid-solid coupled solver simultaneously model the liquid transport, vapor condensation, conjugate transfer, electric conduction their interactions. A stochastic method employed reconstruct 3D structural GDL. The compression effect on geometry during assembly included by applying 10% deformation before converting solid fibrous zone simulation. micro-porous layer (MPL) cracks are assumed be intake paths transport. impacts distribution transfer investigated. For whole process, major approach through both dry wet GDL, while transport accompanied convection also crucial However, effects electrical can ignored due significant differences conductivities between layers. Besides, interactions condensation explored, it shown that temperature fibers under rib lower than other fibers, leading higher condensate saturation lager droplet size at corresponding positions. results presented here significantly helpful deepen our knowledge guide PEMFC.