This repository has been split into three separate repositories to allow for independent development:

https://github.com/ZBT-Tools/pemfc-core (core model for the simulation)

https://github.com/ZBT-Tools/pemfc-tkinter-app (desktop app based on tkinter framework)

https://github.com/ZBT-Tools/pemfc-dash-app (dash web application)

This repository will not be maintained further.

PEMFC-Stack-Model

A reduced dimensional numerical model to simulate the performance of PEM fuel cell stacks developed in Python 3.6 utilizing the numerical libraries NumPy and SciPy.

Geometric Layout

Features

• Physical stack domain is discretized into two dimensions:

  • through each cell in the direction of the electrical current (current-direction)
  • along the flow direction of each channel (flow-direction)

• Calculation of the reactant flow distribution into the cells based on the geometry of headers and channels

• Local current distribution along the flow- and current-direction due to:

  • reactant transport within the channels and the porous media
  • temperature distribution
  • reaction kinetics and voltage losses according to Kulikovsky (2013)

• Temperature distribution along the flow- and current-direction with a discretization in the current-direction (through plane) in five nodes at the interfaces of:

  • anodic and cathodic bipolar plates (BPP-BPP)
  • anodic bipolar plate and gas diffusion electrode (BPP-GDE, Ano)
  • anodic gas diffusion electrode and membrane (GDE-Mem, Ano)
  • cathodic gas diffusion electrode and membrane (GDE-Mem, Cat)
  • cathodic bipolar plate and gas diffusion electrode (BPP-GDE, Cat)

Minimum requirements

• NumPy 1.14.3
• SciPy 1.1.0
• Matplotlib 2.2.2

Usage

Download the repository, review settings in the pemfc/settings folder (ouput.py, geometry.py, operating_conditons.py, physical_properties.py, simulation.py). Then execute

python -m pemfc.main_app

for the CLI app, or

python -m pemfc.gui_app

for the GUI app from the repository folder with your Python interpreter. Input parameters can be adjusted via GUI (work in progress) or in the corresponding files in the pemfc/settings folder. If not specified otherwise, a folder called "output" will be created at the end of a simulation run, which contains the results in various data files and plots.

Implementation

References

Stack discretization, temperature coupling, reactant transport according to:

Chang, Paul, Gwang-Soo Kim, Keith Promislow, and Brian Wetton. “Reduced Dimensional Computational Models of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Stacks.” Journal of Computational Physics 223, no. 2 (May 2007): 797–821. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcp.2006.10.011.

Membrane models as described in:

Springer, T. E., T. A. Zawodzinski, and S. Gottesfeld. “Polymer Electrolyte FuelCell Model.” Journal of The Electrochemical Society 138, no. 8 (August 1, 1991): 2334–42. https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2085971.

Kamarajugadda, Sai, and Sandip Mazumder. “On the Implementation of Membrane Models in Computational Fluid Dynamics Calculations of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells.” Computers & Chemical Engineering 32, no. 7 (July 2008): 1650–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compchemeng.2007.08.004.

Nguyen, Trung V., and Ralph E. White. “A Water and Heat Management Model for Proton‐Exchange‐Membrane Fuel Cells.” Journal of The Electrochemical Society 140, no. 8 (August 1, 1993): 2178–86. https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2220792.

Xu, Feina, Sébastien Leclerc, Didier Stemmelen, Jean-Christophe Perrin, Alain Retournard, and Daniel Canet. “Study of Electro-Osmotic Drag Coefficients in Nafion Membrane in Acid, Sodium and Potassium Forms by Electrophoresis NMR.” Journal of Membrane Science 536 (August 2017): 116–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2017.04.067.

Peng, Zhe, Arnaud Morin, Patrice Huguet, Pascal Schott, and Joël Pauchet. “In-Situ Measurement of Electroosmotic Drag Coefficient in Nafion Membrane for the PEMFC.” The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 115, no. 44 (November 10, 2011): 12835–44. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp205291f.

Manifold model and flow distribution based on:

Koh, Joon-Ho, Hai-Kyung Seo, Choong Gon Lee, Young-Sung Yoo, and Hee Chun Lim. “Pressure and Flow Distribution in Internal Gas Manifolds of a Fuel-Cell Stack.” Journal of Power Sources 115, no. 1 (March 2003): 54–65. https://doi. org/10.1016/S0378-7753(02)00615-8.

Electrochemical reaction kinetics and transport losses according to:

Kulikovsky, A. A. “A Physically–Based Analytical Polarization Curve of a PEM Fuel Cell.” Journal of the Electrochemical Society 161, no. 3 (December 28, 2013): F263–70. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.028403jes.