Comprehensive Parametric Study of Cathode Catalyst Layer of PEM Fuel Cell Based Agglomerate Model

The catalyst layer is often the thinnest layer in the fuel cell، but is often the most complex part due to multiple phases، porosity، and electrochemical reactions. The performance of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is strongly affected by the cathode catalyst layer performance. In this study، a steady state isothermal one-dimensional agglomerate model is considered and developed for the cathode catalyst layer. After writing the governing equations for the catalyst layer، differential equations for independent variables of current density، oxygen concentration and activation overpotential obtained that form a coupled system of first-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODE’s) with the related boundary conditions. Then coupled system of ODE’s is solved through coding in Matlab software version 2011، using a shooting method، boundary value problem (BPV). After validating the model against experimental and theoretical results، a comprehensive parametric study is performed on the effects of fourteen parameters including operational parameters namely temperature، pressure and saturation liquid water، and structural parameters such as platinum loading، ionomer volume fraction، porosity and thickness of catalyst layer، radius and porosity of agglomerate and etc. on the catalyst layer performance. It was found that saturation liquid water، ionomer volume fraction and agglomerate radius have the greatest effect on the performance.