A Review on Mass Transfer in Multiscale Porous Media in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: Mechanism, Modeling, and Parameter Identification

Abstract

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are a promising clean power source that can be used in a variety of applications such as automobiles, stationary power plants, and portable power devices. The application problem of PEM fuel cells is a multiscale application process involving porous media, consisting of a series of mass, momentum, and energy transfers through gas channels, current transfers through membrane electrode assemblies, and electrochemical reactions at three-phase boundaries. In this paper, the recent research progress of PEMFC in multiscale porous-media mass transfer processes is reviewed, the research progress of fuel cell parameter identification is reviewed, and the future development direction is summarized and analyzed. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of proton exchange membrane fuel cell mass transfer and parameter identification to reference researchers and engineers in the field of fuel cell systems.