Monte Carlo simulation of the PEMFC catalyst layer

Abstract

The performance of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is greatly controlled by the structure of the catalyst layer. Low catalyst utilization is still a significant obstacle to the commercialization of the PEMFC. In order to get a fundamental understanding of the electrode structure and to find the limiting factor in the low catalyst utilization, it is necessary to develop the mechanical model on the effect of catalyst layer structure on the catalyst utilization and the performance of the PEMFC. In this work, the structure of the catalyst layer is studied based on the lattice model with the Monte Carlo simulation. The model can predict the effects of some catalyst layer components, such as Pt/C catalyst, electrolyte and gas pores, on the utilization of the catalyst and the cell performance. The simulation result shows that the aggregation of conduction grains can greatly affect the degree of catalyst utilization. The better the dispersion of the conduction grains, the larger the total effective area of the catalyst is. To achieve higher utilization, catalyst layer components must be distributed by means of engineered design, which can prevent aggregation.