Experimental analysis and analytical modeling of Gas Diffusion Layers under cyclic mechanical compression

Pierre-Antoine Gigos (1, 2, 3) , Younes Faydi (2, 3) , Yann Meyer (2, 3)

1 X - École polytechnique
2 IRTES - M3M - Laboratoire Mécatronique - Méthodes, Modèles et Métiers
3 FCellSYS

The Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is a promising electrical power generator for mass applications. Electricity is produced in dozens of elementary cells connected in series into a stack. The Gas Diffusion Layers (GDLs) play a major role in a running fuel cell. The GDLs are exposed to an inhomogeneous pressure that locally can be over 10 MPa. This pressure field impacts directly the global fuel cell performances. The GDL behavior under compression has been proven to be non-linear, with an irreversible compression. Thus, in existing experiments and models, GDLs nonlinear behavior has not been conjointly studied under high pressure (over 10 MPa) and multiple loading/unloading cycles. Therefore, the present paper goes further, using an experimental approach to investigate both high compression pressure and cycle effect, and then a non-linear analytical model is developed from an existing linear model.

Domaines: Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]

Pierre-Antoine Gigos, Younes Faydi, Yann Meyer. Experimental analysis and analytical modeling of Gas Diffusion Layers under cyclic mechanical compression. FDFC2015 - 6th International Conference on Fundamentals and Development of Fuel Cells, Feb 2015, Toulouse, France. ⟨hal-03359654⟩