COMPUTER SIMULATION OF ACTIVE LAYER FUEL CELL WITH POLYMER ELECTROLYTE: СОNNECTION OVERALL CURRENT WITH TEMPERATURE OF ACTIVE LAYER

In the cathode active layer of a fuel cell with a solid polymer electrolyte process of current generation takes place in support grains. The speed of this process essentially depends on a degree of support grains pores filling with water. Calculations show, if support grains pores are completely filled with water, the overall current value in the cathode active layer much less rather in the case when pores partially or even completely free of water. The last variant of a cathode active layer functioning is realized when the speed of emptiness process in pores from moisture due to evaporation exceeds the rate of flooding process of ones with water in the process of current generation. To increase the overall current is possible by increasing a degree of heating-up of the cathode active layer. It is desirable that the temperature of the active layer Ts as much as possible exceed the temperature T, which the fuel cell operates. In this study by method of computer simulation a specific example of determining the overall current value in the cathode active layer is presented. It is shown how overall current increase if magnify difference of temperature Ts–T. 

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