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Simulation of 3D Porous Media Flows with Application to Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2015

N. I. Prasianakis ,
T. Rosén ,
J. Kang ,
J. Eller ,
J. Mantzaras  and
F. N. Büichi
N. I. Prasianakis*
Affiliation:
Combustion Research Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI5232, Switzerland
T. Rosén*
Affiliation:
Combustion Research Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI5232, Switzerland Electrochemistry Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
J. Kang*
Affiliation:
Combustion Research Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI5232, Switzerland
J. Eller*
Affiliation:
Electrochemistry Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
J. Mantzaras*
Affiliation:
Combustion Research Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI5232, Switzerland
F. N. Büichi*
Affiliation:
Electrochemistry Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI 5232, Switzerland
*
Corresponding author.Email:nikolaos.prasianakis@psi.ch
Email:rosen@mech.kth.se
Email:jinfen.kang@psi.ch
Email:jens.eller@psi.ch
Email:ioannis.mantzaras@psi.ch
Email:felix.buechi@psi.ch
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Abstract

A 3D lattice Boltzmann (LB) model with twenty-seven discrete velocities is presented and used for the simulation of three-dimensional porous media flows. Its accuracy in combination with the half-way bounce back boundary condition is assessed. Characteristic properties of the gas diffusion layers that are used in polymer electrolyte fuel cells can be determined with this model. Simulation in samples that have been obtained via X-ray tomographic microscopy, allows to estimate the values of permeability and relative effective diffusivity. Furthermore, the computational LB results are compared with the results of other numerical tools, as well as with experimental values.

Keywords

65D1876G2576M2876S05Porous mediaGDLslattice Boltzmannfuel cellsfluid dynamics
Type
Research Article
Information
Communications in Computational Physics , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , March 2013 , pp. 851 - 866
Copyright
Copyright © Global Science Press Limited 2013

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