Modelling fluid interaction at the interface between porous GDL and gas distributor in a PEM fuel cell

For sophisticated water management in a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell, it is crucial to understand the ongoing transport mechanisms of water throughout the cell constituents and especially at the interfaces between them. Pore-scale modeling of porous diffusion layers (GDL) and gas distributors is the favorable technique of this project. We investigate the fluid transport at interface between porous GDL and gas distributor with respect to the occuring interface configurations between the two domains. Dependent on the considered structures and their properties, e.g. surface wettability or channel structure, different behaviors at the interface are observed. The investigated pore-scale interface processes range from drop formation, growth and detachment to blockage and accumulation in mixed-wet pores. A dynamic pore-network model (PNM) is used as a base for the implementation of the interface configurations in the open-source porous media simulator DuMu^x.