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Multi-scale modeling for low-temperature sealing performance of fuel cell

A unit cell of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) contains a special ‘sandwich’ sealing structure composed of membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the metal bipolar plate (BPP), and a rubber gasket, which is easily influenced by external impacts, vibrations, or temperature loads. In particular...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of power sources 2024-12, Vol.623, p.235485, Article 235485
Main Authors: Yang, Zhen, Zhu, Wenfeng, Cheng, Zhiguo, Dong, Ruitao, Cao, Zhicheng
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:A unit cell of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) contains a special ‘sandwich’ sealing structure composed of membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the metal bipolar plate (BPP), and a rubber gasket, which is easily influenced by external impacts, vibrations, or temperature loads. In particular, PEMFCs have to go through low-temperature loads in using environments making the lifetime and reliability of the PEMFC reduced. The temperature-shrinkage at the macro-scale and the morphology change at the micro-scale of the rubber gasket are both going to appear if the temperature is low and the PEMFC sealing performance is going to be obviously affected. The macroscopic temperature-shrinkage which includes the size-variation and the spring-back weakening is considered to establish the actual compression ratio model mathematically for low-temperature sealing of rubber gaskets in this paper. Then the influence of gasket microscopic morphology on contact behaviors is studied to reveal the interfacial sealing mechanism by using numerical simulation methods. Finally, the multi-scale model for low-temperature sealing performance of PEMFC has been constructed in this paper. The accuracy of the multi-scale model could be verified by comparing experimental contact pressure results between the rubber gasket and the metal plate. •Multi-scale model is used to study the PEMFC low-temperature sealing.•Both macro- and micro-properties are considered to analyze the sealing contact.•The temperature-shrinkage appears at the macro-scale under temperature loads.•The morphology affects the roughness and the channel height at the micro-scale.
ISSN:0378-7753
DOI:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2024.235485