(141c) PEM Fuel Cell Design Exploration

Computer aided engineering (CAE) can be powerful tool in the design of fuel cell systems. Simulations can be used understand trade-offs between maximizing power efficiency and minimizing temperature variations when scaling from cells to stacks and modules with robust and reliable operation. Validated PEM fuel cell models are applied to 3-D stack simulations, where proprietary optimization algorithms quickly obtain better multi-parameter designs. Each simulation conserves flow, energy, species, and charge transport using segregated solvers with a high degree of linearization and efficient sparse matrix solvers. Automated workflows and state-of-the-art search algorithms allow for fast design space exploration of fuel cell dimensions, properties and operating conditions.