Mechanical Impacts and Multiphysics Interactions in PEM Fuel Cells: Modelling, Characterization and Design from Components to Stacks

Dear Colleagues,

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) operate through tightly coupled physical phenomena. Beyond electrochemistry, electrical–mechanical interactions critically influence stack performance, degradation, and reliability. Mechanical compression, structural deformation, and contact resistances affect gas and water transport, local current distribution, and long-term durability.

This Topic focuses on electromechanical couplings in PEMFCs, including their interaction with thermal effects where relevant. We aim to collate contributions that showcase experimental characterization, modelling, and design strategies that address the complex interplay between structure, mechanics, and electrical performance at cell and stack levels.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Mechanical loading and clamping effects: Impact of clamping force and its distribution within cells and stacks; mechanical compression and its influence on electrical behavior, contact resistance, gas tightness, and durability.
• Material behavior and structural response: Non-linear stress–strain properties of PEMFC components (MEA, GDL, bipolar plates, gaskets, end-plates); deformation-induced heterogeneities in mass transport and current; gas leakage and tight operation under varying mechanical loads.
• Modelling and simulation: Coupled electromechanical and thermomechanical modelling approaches, from component to stack scales; predictive tools linking mechanical deformations to electrochemical performance and ageing phenomena.
• Characterization and diagnostic methods: Ex situ and in situ experimental techniques for components and interfaces; use of pressure-sensitive films and related tools to assess contact patterns, compression homogeneity, and leakage; advanced methods for characterizing multiphysics interactions.
• Thermally assisted effects: Temperature gradients, thermal expansion, and their interactions with mechanical and electrical fields, especially under dynamic operating conditions.
• Design, optimization, and control strategies: Approaches integrating multiphysics couplings to improve performance, ensure tightness, extend lifetime, and support robust stack design.

Dr. Denis Candusso
Dr. Dominique Chamoret
Dr. Yann Meyer
Topic Editors