Ignition and Front Propagation in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
Pattern Formation and Solitons
2007-05-23 v1
Abstract
Water produced in a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell enhances membrane proton conductivity; this positive feedback loop can lead to current ignition. Using a segmented anode fuel cell we study the effect of gas phase convection and membrane diffusion of water on the spatiotemporal nonlinear dynamics - localized ignition and front propagation - in the cell. Co-current gas flow causes ignition at the cell outlet, and membrane diffusion causes the front to slowly propagate to the inlet; counter-current flow causes ignition in the interior of the cell, with the fronts subsequently spreading towards both inlets. These instabilities critically affect fuel cell performance.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.nlin/0606061,
title = {Ignition and Front Propagation in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells},
author = {J. B. Benziger and E. -S. Chia and Y. De Decker and I. G. Kevrekidis},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:nlin/0606061},
year = {2007}
}