Water and Thermal Management in Solid-Polymer-Electrolyte Fuel-Cells

Abstract

A mathematical model of transport in a solid-polymer-electrolyte fuel cell is presented. A two-dimensional membrane-electrode assembly is considered. Water management, thermal management, and utilization of fuel are examined in detail. Because the equilibrium sorption of water between the gas phase and the polymer-electrolyte depends strongly on temperature, water and thermal management are interrelated. The rate of heat removal is shown to be a critical parameter in the operation of these fuel cells