Conjugate Mass Transfer in Gas Channels and Diffusion Layers of Fuel Cells

Prediction of mass transfer effects is a key element in fuel cell design. In this paper, the results of a generalized analysis appropriate to a wide range of designs and flow conditions are presented. Mass transfer in a rectangular gas passage, diffusion layer, and the combination of the two is considered. Fully developed viscous flow is presumed to occur within the passage, while the incompressible form of Darcy’s law is prescribed for the diffusion layer. The mathematical foundations for a simple mass transfer analysis are presented. Detailed calculations are then performed by means of a computational fluid dynamics code. These results are then correlated according to the analytical methodology in terms of nondimensional numbers appropriate to mass transfer analysis; namely, the overall mass transfer driving force as a function of the blowing parameter. Parametric studies are performed for a range of geometries, as characterized by the aspect ratio and blockage factor. It is shown that a simple solution for the overall driving force may readily be obtained from the two individual solutions for the conjugate mass transfer problem. This solution is quite general in its nature, and may readily be used to predict concentration polarization effects for a variety of fuel cells.