Investigating water transport in polymer electrolyte fuel cells

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Water transport is critical to th operation and stability of polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Unfortunately, the physical mechanisms of water transport on porous fuel cell electrodes and flow channels are poorly understood. The object of this proposal is to employ combined theoretical and experimental approaches to identify the relevant physics of water transport in fuel cell electrodes. Several idealized experimental setups wll be made and studied using a micro-PIV system housed at the Queen's-RMC Fuel Cell Research Centre. These experiments will then provide guidance for the development of new multi-phase flow models suitable for simulating fuel cell performance using computational fluid dynamics. These models will then be available to guide the next generation of fuel cell designs and aid in the commercial viability of fuel cells.