Status : Verified
| Personal Name | Manalundong, Neshreen C. |
|---|---|
| Resource Title | Multiphysics Modeling of Transient Operation and Chemical Membrane Degradation in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells |
| Date Issued | 31 October 2026 |
| Abstract | Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are regarded as a key technology for sustainable transportation. However, their vehicular deployment remains constrained by high system costs and durability concerns. Consequently, substantial research efforts have focused on understanding and mitigating component degradation particularly, under dynamic operating conditions encountered in transportation applications. During transient events such as start-up, shutdown, or load cycling, PEMFCs exhibit delayed voltage and current responses. While these transient effects have been widely studied, the relationship between transient operations and chemical membrane degradation is insufficiently understood. In particular, the effect of rapid load change in the generation of reactive oxygen species and their contribution to membrane degradation has not been thoroughly studied. To address this gap, the present work develops a one-dimensional, non-isothermal, and multiphase computational model implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics. This comprehensive framework uniquely couples electrochemical kinetics with the transport of heat, liquid water, and species in gaseous and dissolved phases, while incorporating detailed chemical degradation mechanisms like radical-induced chain scission and main chain unzipping. Validation is carried out through comparison of simulated polarization curves and transient voltage responses with single-cell data reported in the referenced literatures. This research makes a significant contribution by bridging the gap between performance-focused transient analysis and durability-focused degradation studies, linking second-scale dynamic responses to the early-stage processes governing long-term membrane failure. Beyond demonstrating that traditional voltage metrics fail to represent underlying chemical degradation, the study identifies initial side-chain cleavage as the rate-limiting step for membrane thinning, proposing a strategic basis for the o |
| Degree Course | MS Chemical Engineering |
| Language | English |
| Keyword | chemical membrane degradation, chemical degradation, transient model, degradation species, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells |
| Material Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
Preliminary Pages
3.51 Mb
Category : F - Regular work, i.e., it has no patentable invention or creation, the author does not wish for personal publication, there is no confidential information.
Access Permission : Open Access