基于准二维模型的PEMFC冷启动特性研究

doi:10.11949/0438-1157.20250566

摘要/Abstract

摘要：

低温条件下启动时，质子交换膜燃料电池（PEMFC）内液态水结冰堵塞通道，严重影响电池启动性能及寿命。针对这一问题，本文采用MATLAB Simulink建立了基于新型传热模型的PEMFC准二维模型，探究了冷启动时PEMFC单电池的宏观和微观性能。论文首先深入研究了低温启动工况下电池内部的温度分布、水-冰的演变以及扩散层堵塞等特性，随后探索了不同辅助加热方式对PEMFC冷启动性能的影响规律。结果表明，PEMFC在-20 ℃温度下无法成功自启动，阴极催化层内反应生成的水发生相变堵塞传质通道，化学反应停止，启动失败。最终提出了一种能够改善PEMFC冷启动性能的可调的冷却液辅助加热策略，在此策略下，电池在-20 ℃温度下启动时，阴极催化层堵塞冰能自熔解，启动15 s后含冰量接近0%，含水量不断增加，电池温度始终保持在0 ℃以上，冷启动成功。

关键词: 燃料电池, 冷启动, 准二维模型, 数值模拟, 启动策略, 性能提升

Abstract:

During start-up under low-temperature conditions, the freezing of liquid water inside proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) leads to blockage of transport pathways, which severely degrades start-up performance and durability. To address this issue, a quasi-two-dimensional PEMFC model based on a novel heat transfer formulation is developed in MATLAB/Simulink to investigate the macroscopic and microscopic behaviors of a single cell during cold start. The model is first applied to examine the temperature distribution, water–ice evolution, and diffusion layer blockage characteristics inside the cell under low-temperature start-up conditions. Subsequently, the effects of different auxiliary heating methods on PEMFC cold-start performance are analyzed. The results indicate that the PEMFC cannot achieve successful self-start at -20 °C, as the water generated by electrochemical reactions in the cathode catalyst layer undergoes phase transition and blocks mass transport pathways, leading to the termination of electrochemical reactions and start-up failure. Finally, an adjustable coolant-assisted heating strategy is proposed to improve the cold-start performance of PEMFCs. Under this strategy, when the cell is started at -20 °C, the ice blockage in the cathode catalyst layer can be gradually melted. After 15 s of start-up, the ice fraction decreases to nearly zero, the liquid water content continuously increases, and the cell temperature is maintained above 0 °C, resulting in a successful cold start.

Key words: fuel cell, cold start, quasi-two-dimensional model, numerical simulation, starting strategy, performance improvement

中图分类号:

TM911.4

魏纪元, 李盛平, 赵华莉, 王兆文, 鞠洪玲. 基于准二维模型的PEMFC冷启动特性研究[J]. 化工学报, DOI: 10.11949/0438-1157.20250566.

Jiyuan WEI, Shengping LI, Huali ZHAO, Zhaowen WANG, Hongling JU. Cold-start characterization of PEMFC based on quasi-two-dimensional modeling[J]. CIESC Journal, DOI: 10.11949/0438-1157.20250566.

图/表 15

图1 PEMFC准二维模型

Fig. 1 PEMFC quasi-two-dimensional model

图2 PEMFC准二维模型示意图

Fig. 2 Schematic diagram of the PEMFC quasi-two-dimensional model

表1 模型参数

Table 1 Model parameters

参数	数值	参数	数值
活性表面积/ m²	2.5×10^-3	GDL密度/ kg·m^-3	1000
GDL孔隙率	0.7	MPL密度/ kg·m^-3	1000
MPL孔隙率	0.4	双极板密度/ kg·m^-3	1000
CL孔隙率	0.3	PEM密度/ kg·m^-3	1980
双极板厚度/m	0.005	CL密度/ kg·m^-3	1000
GDL厚度/m	2×10^-4	双极板比热容/J·kg^-1·K^-1	1580
MPL厚度/m	3×10^-5	GDL比热容/ J·kg^-1·K^-1	2000
CL厚度/m	1×10^-5	MPL比热容/ J·kg^-1·K^-1	568
GDL渗透率	6.2×10^-12	PEM比热容/ J·kg^-1·K^-1	833
MPL渗透率	8.3×10^-13	CL比热容/ J·kg^-1·K^-1	3300
CL渗透率	6.2×10^-13	双极板热导率/W·m^-1·K^-1	15
双极板电导率/ S m^-1	2×10⁴	GDL、CL热导率/ W·m^-1·K^-1	1
GDL电导率/ S m^-1	300	PEM热导率/ W·m^-1·K^-1	0.95
MPL电导率/ S m^-1	300	阳极气体热导率/ W·m^-1·K^-1	0.17
CL电导率/ S m^-1	300	阴极气体热导率W·m^-1·K^-1	0.024

图3 模拟结果与实验数据对比

Fig. 3 Comparison between simulation results and experimental data

图4 不同启动电流密度下的电压曲线

Fig. 4 Voltage profile at different starting current densities

图5 不同启动电流密度下的温度分布

Fig. 5 Temperature distribution at different starting current densities

图6 阴极内水分布（a）和CCL内水含量变化（b）

Fig. 6 Distribution of water in the cathode (a) and variation of water content in CCL (b)

图7 阴极内冰分布（a）和阴极CCL内冰含量变化（b）

Fig. 7 Ice distribution within the cathode (a) and ice content variation within CCL (b)

图8 采用辅助加热后的电池冷启动电压曲线（a）和阴极催化层中液态水和冰的含量（b）

Fig. 8 Voltage curves (a) and liquid water and ice content (b) in CCL of the battery with auxiliary heating

图9 燃料电池采用进气辅助加热时冷启动的温度曲线

Fig. 9 Temperature profile for cold start of fuel cell with intake air assisted heating

图10 在I=0.2 A/cm²（a）和I=0.4 A/cm²（b）条件下，带冷却液加热的燃料电池的输出电压

Fig. 10 Output voltage of fuel cell with coolant heating at I = 0.2 A/cm² (a) and I = 0.4 A/cm² (b)

图11 在I=0.2A/cm²（a）和I=0.4A/cm²（b）条件下，带冷却液加热的电池催化层温度

Fig. 11 Temperature of the catalytic layer of the cell with coolant heating at I=0.2A/cm² (a) and I=0.4A/cm² (b)

图12 在I=0.2A/cm²（a）和I=0.4A/cm²（b）条件下，催化层中水和冰的含量

Fig. 12 Water and ice content in the catalytic layer at I = 0.2 A/cm² (a) and I = 0.4 A/cm² (b)

图13 电流密度、电压和冷却液加热功率随时间的变化

Fig. 13 Current density, voltage and coolant heating power over time

图14 电池阴极内部温度、冰和水含量变化

Fig. 14 Variation of temperature, ice and water content inside the cell cathode

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