Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) require a gas diffusion layer (GDL) to aid in the transport of liquid fuel to the catalyst layer. In this work, direct modeling using the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) was applied to X-ray CT scans of four different carbon gas diffusion layers to understand the mass transport properties through the samples. Three injection orientations were used to study local saturation levels, water evolution through the sample, and mass transport behavior at breakthrough conditions. The LBM, combined with computational fluid dynamic modeling techniques, can accurately predict liquid saturation at the macro and micro scale, which provides more insight into the mass transport phenomena through the GDL. The change of pore structure and orientation in both the in-plane and through-plane determines the path that liquid water must take, which could aid or impact PEMFC performance. The outcomes from this work will also benefit any research that needs know...

中文翻译：

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用格子Boltzmann方法研究PEMFC气体扩散层不同孔隙结构中的液态水传输

质子交换膜燃料电池（PEMFC）需要气体扩散层（GDL）来帮助将液体燃料传输到催化剂层。在这项工作中，使用格子Boltzmann方法（LBM）进行的直接建模已应用于四个不同碳气体扩散层的X射线CT扫描，以了解通过样品的传质特性。三种注入方向用于研究局部饱和度，样品中的水逸出以及突破条件下的传质行为。LBM与计算流体动力学建模技术相结合，可以在宏观和微观尺度上准确地预测液体饱和度，从而提供对通过GDL进行的物质传输现象的更多了解。平面内和贯通平面内孔结构和取向的变化决定了液态水必须采取的路径，这可能有助于或影响PEMFC的性能。这项工作的成果也将使任何需要了解的研究都受益...