Capabilities and Limitations of 3D-CFD Simulation of Anode Flow Fields of High-Pressure PEM Water Electrolysis
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Academic Editors: Giosue Giacoppo and Bruno Auvity
Processes 2021, 9(6), 968; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9060968
Received: 1 April 2021
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Revised: 24 May 2021
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Accepted: 26 May 2021
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Published: 29 May 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling Approaches in Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers)
In this work, single-phase (liquid water) and two-phase (liquid water and gaseous oxygen) 3D-CFD flow analysis of the anode of a high pressure PEM electrolysis cell was conducted. 3D-CFD simulation models of the anode side porous transport layer of a PEM electrolyzer cell were created for the flow analysis. For the geometrical modelling of the PTL, two approaches were used: (a) modelling the exact geometry and (b) modelling a simplified geometry using a porosity model. Before conducting two-phase simulations, the model was validated using a single-phase approach. The Eulerian multiphase and the volume-of-fluid approaches were used for the two-phase modelling and the results were compared. Furthermore, a small section of the PTL was isolated to focus on the gas bubble flow and behaviour in more detail. The results showed plausible tendencies regarding pressure drop, velocity distribution and gas volume fraction distribution. The simplified geometry using the porous model could adequately replicate the results of the exact geometry model with a significant reduction in simulation time. The developed simulation model can be used for further investigations and gives insight into two-phase flow phenomena in the PTL. Additionally, the information obtained from simulation can aid the design and evaluation of new PTL structures.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Haas, C.; Macherhammer, M.-G.; Klopcic, N.; Trattner, A. Capabilities and Limitations of 3D-CFD Simulation of Anode Flow Fields of High-Pressure PEM Water Electrolysis. Processes 2021, 9, 968. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9060968
AMA Style
Haas C, Macherhammer M-G, Klopcic N, Trattner A. Capabilities and Limitations of 3D-CFD Simulation of Anode Flow Fields of High-Pressure PEM Water Electrolysis. Processes. 2021; 9(6):968. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9060968
Chicago/Turabian StyleHaas, Christoph, Marie-Gabrielle Macherhammer, Nejc Klopcic, and Alexander Trattner. 2021. "Capabilities and Limitations of 3D-CFD Simulation of Anode Flow Fields of High-Pressure PEM Water Electrolysis" Processes 9, no. 6: 968. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9060968
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