Application of CFD Techniques in the Modelling and Simulation of PBI PEMFC

In the present work two 3‐D models, for the catalytic layer, were employed in order to simulate the responses of a PBI high temperature polymeric membrane fuel cell. The simulations made use of an agglomerate model and a pseudo‐homogenous model, both implemented taking into account the temperature influence over their parameters. The overall simulation was performed also as two models, linked by the variable pressure, one for the whole graphite plate simulating the distribution channels, and the other dealing with the MEA and thereof the catalytic layer. A discussion over the two models was done and the experimental results demonstrated that the pseudo‐homogeneous obtained the better fits.