Clemens Fink, Joel Mata Edjokola, Marijo Telenta and Merit Bodner
Catalyst degradation in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells is strongly influenced by operating conditions such as temperature and humidity. In this work, we present a coupled electrochemical and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model that captures key degradation mechanisms, including carbon corrosion, platinum dissolution, and particle agglomeration. The model is applied to assess the performance and degradation of a PEM fuel cell under varying temperature and humidity conditions, validated against experimental data from a segmented test cell. The results demonstrate the substantial impact of these conditions on degradation, offering insights for enhancing fuel cell durability and performance.
Fuel Cells, 2024