Derivation of a fast mathematical model of PEM fuel cell with two-phase water transport

A physical model that accounts for the transportation of water in both vapor and liquid phases is useful for the design of water management scheme in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system. A 1-D, two-phase PEMFC model that offers both a very short simulation time and a realistic capture of the physical behavior of PEMFC is developed. The presence of liquid water in the cathode gas diffusion layer is modeled by using a simplified treatment of the mass balance of water. The simulation results are compared to the published experimental data and a satisfactory agreement is obtained. The proposed model is used to predict the cell performance under various operating conditions, and its capability to predict an abrupt fall in the cell voltage under flooding condition is demonstrated. The model equations developed, except for the average liquid water saturation, are analytical and require a minimal computational effort, hence reduces the overhead time in PEMFC power system simulations.