Research Article

Pore-Scale Multiphase MRT-LBM Investigation of Liquid-Water Transport and Injection Location Effects in Compressed Porous Transport Layers of Interdigitated PEM Fuel Cells

Authors

Hamid Reza Ashorynejad * Department of Industrial, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Buein Zahra Technical University, Buein Zahra, Qazvin, Iran.
Kourosh Javaherdeh Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.48313/mtei.v3i2.82

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Abstract

The transport of liquid water is crucial in water management in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFCs) since the presence of too much liquid water in Porous Transport Layers (PTLs) may block gas transport and cause flooding in the interdigitated cell structure. This study develops a pore-scale Lattice Boltzmann Model (LBM) for liquid water transport in compressed porous media of interdigitated PEMFCs using the Shan-Chen pseudopotential method and the Multiple-Relaxation-Time (MRT) collision operator. The developed model is first validated against Laplace's law, droplet contact angle, and correlations for permeability for single-phase flow in the PTL. The results of the validated model are used to analyze the impact of liquid water injection location on water saturation and drainage. The water is injected into three different locations: beneath the gas inlet, beneath the middle rib region, and beneath the gas outlet. The results show that water saturation and drainage are highly dependent on the water injection location. The highest average water saturation (0.34–0.35) was achieved in the case of inlet-side injection, while the lowest average water saturation (0.12–0.15) was observed when water was injected on the outlet side.

Keywords

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell Porous transport layer Liquid-water transport Water saturation Multiphase flow Multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method Pore-scale simulation Water management

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Published 2026-06-07
Issue Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): Mechanical Technology and Engineering Insights (MTEI)
Section Articles
Document Type Research Article
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How to Cite

Ashorynejad, H. R. ., & Javaherdeh, K. . (2026). Pore-Scale Multiphase MRT-LBM Investigation of Liquid-Water Transport and Injection Location Effects in Compressed Porous Transport Layers of Interdigitated PEM Fuel Cells. Mechanical Technology and Engineering Insights, 3(2), 81-100. https://doi.org/10.48313/mtei.v3i2.82

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