Porous Two-Phase Flow

Development of a two-phase flow model specifically targeting two-phase flow in gas diffusion layers (GDL) or porous transport layers (PTL) in fuel cells or electrolyzers, respectively.

Usage

Execute

python main.py

with your Python environment. Choose either 1D or 2D model within main.py-File. Specific configurations (discretization, boundary conditions, parameters, etc.) have to be set within the corresponding model files (src/capillary_two_phase_flow_1d.py, src/capillary_two_phase_flow_2d.py) for now. Structure and usability will be improved in the future.

Requirements

• Python >= 3.10
• Libraries: NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib, FiPy

Model specifications:

• Macrohomogeneous approach:

  • Effective properties for porous medium
  • Continuous transport model
  • Finite-volume discretization using FiPy for 2D
  • Finite-difference discretization for 1D

• Physical model:

  • Capillary-based two-phase model according to:
    Secanell, M., A. Jarauta, A. Kosakian, M. Sabharwal, and J. Zhou. “PEM Fuel Cells, Modeling.” In Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, edited by Robert A. Meyers, 1–61. New York, NY: Springer New York, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_1019-1.
  • Saturation-capillary pressure correlations from:
    Pasaogullari, Ugur, and C. Y. Wang. “Liquid Water Transport in Gas Diffusion Layer of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells.” Journal of The Electrochemical Society 151, no. 3 (2004): A399. https://doi.org/10.1149/1.1646148.
    Zhou, J., A. Putz, and M. Secanell. “A Mixed Wettability Pore Size Distribution Based Mathematical Model for Analyzing Two-Phase Flow in Porous Electrodes: I. Mathematical Model.” Journal of The Electrochemical Society 164, no. 6 (2017): F530–39. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0381706jes.