Fuel cells are an environmentally friendly alternative to combustion engines since they use hydrogen to generate electric power.
To assure the fulfilment of the lifetime targets, extensive aging tests are required. In order to reduce the amount and costs of these tests, it is necessary to use a predictive simulation model.
A performance model has been developed by ZSW using Matlab®. This model is now being extended to include the degradation model.
There are many processes which cause degradation in the cell components. The focus of this work is on the electrochemical aging behavior of catalyst layer, including also first aspects of carbon corrosion and dehydrophobization effects.
The catalyst consists of the support material carbon and the catalyst material platinum. On the surface platinum and carbon oxidation and corrosion occurs, Pt ions dissolve and move into the membrane, particles detach and agglomerate. The result of these mechanisms is the reduction of the electrochemical active surface area which leads to performance loss. Additionally, the reduced ionomer coverage of the catalyst and carbon corrosion results in a decreasing contact angle, leading to dehydrophobization and thereby to a limited O2 mass transport.
The degradation is calculated using an ODE system based on the particle radii and size distribution for every time step. At the beginning, the size of the particle radii and the distribution are defined. The change in these two variables is then calculated in the ODE system and the active surface area of platinum is computed as one influencing aging factor.
Modeling the Aging Behavior of the Catalyst Layer in PEM Fuel Cells
ARENA2036
Stuttgart Conference on Automotive Production ; 2024 ; Stuttgart, Germany November 21, 2024 - November 22, 2024
Advances in Automotive Production Technology – Digital Product Development and Manufacturing ; Kapitel : 11 ; 121-136
20.06.2025
16 pages
Aufsatz/Kapitel (Buch)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
Modeling an ordered nanostructured cathode catalyst layer for proton exchange membrane fuel cells
Online Contents | 2011
|Modeling of catalyst layer microstructural refinement and catalyst utilization in a PEM fuel cell
Online Contents | 2005
|Modeling the cathode catalyst layer of a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell
Online Contents | 2013
|Optimization of Cathode Catalyst Layer in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1998
|Modeling study of urea SCR catalyst aging characteristics
Kraftfahrwesen | 2007
|