Chapter 8 - Charge and mass transport and modeling principles in proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells

Abstract

Charge and mass transports play an important role in performance of proton-exchange membrane fuel cell. In this chapter, we discuss the modeling principles of charge and mass transports. Then we present the thermodynamic concepts of charge and mass processes with an emphasis on operating cell parameters. The charge transport and mass transport equations are reported in membrane-electrode-assembly. Along with modeling, numerical solutions are presented according to computational fluid dynamics and lattice Boltzmann methods. Through the numerical solutions, charge and mass transports can be modeled simultaneously. This makes it feasible for fuel cell engineers to better optimize the design and operating parameters of fuel cells.