Control of Multi-Scale Water Transport and Freezing Distribution in Cold Startup of PEM Fuel Cell

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H03178
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Thermal engineering
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: TABE Yutaka 北海道大学, 工学研究院, 教授 (80374578)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 近久 武美 北海道大学, 工学研究院, 特任教授 (00155300)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 熱工学 / 燃料電池

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objectives of this study are to elucidate the mechanism of multiscale water transport and freezing in PEFCs and to present cell structures and control methods for improving the cold startup ability. The cold start experiments simulating actual stack environment with a single cell, visualization of ice distribution in the cell using a cryo-SEM, and analysis of liquid water in complex porous structure using the lattice Boltzmann simulation and the scale model experiment were conducted. The results showed the effects of multiscale water transport and freezing phenomena on the cold start characteristics and new findings for the improving methods such as wettability control.

Free Research Field

エネルギー変換工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

クライオSEMを用いた高い空間分解能での凍結分布の可視化、格子ボルツマンシミュレーションとスケールモデル実験による複雑多孔構造内の凝縮水挙動解析、さらに濡れ性制御による効果の実証も行い、電池内マルチスケール水輸送・凍結機構に関する極めて有意義で独創的な知見を提供した。これらは、燃料電池開発の高度化に寄与できるとともに、今後より高いレベルの耐久性が求められる大型自動車用燃料電池の厳しい課題の解決にも貢献できるものと考えている。