Abstract
Crack defects produced during the operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have a significant impact on their service life. One common approach to extend their working time is to embed self-healing microcapsules in the membrane to repair the defects. In this study, we use the extended finite element method (XFEM) to investigate the capture and control of cracks by doped microcapsules and numerically simulate the crack propagation patterns. The results show that a two-layer microcapsule distribution along the membrane cross-section can achieve complete control of cracks. In addition, the two-material microcapsules with layered, staggered arrangement exhibit the maximum distance between cracks they can attract, while minimizing their impact on the mechanical properties of the membrane. Based on these findings, we determine the theoretical doping amount of microcapsules per unit volume, which has important implications for future experimental design and engineering applications.
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