Lattice Boltzmann Modeling From the Macro- to the Microscale - An Approximation to the Porous Media in Fuel Cells -

Fuel cell (FC) is a device that gives us electrical and thermal energy from the chemical energy present in the fuels involved during the conversion process. The chemical conversion process occurs thanks to the different constitutive layers in the FC, i.e., active layer, anode/cathode support layer, catalyst layer, gas diffusion later and electrolyte. Most of them have the characteristic to allow the flow of the reactants. Understanding the behavior of the fluids in porous media help to improve the efficiency of fuel cells.
Modeling different transport phenomena that occur inside fuel cells during the energy conversion process are important at microscale. Lattice Boltzmann method appears as a powerful tool for solving problems in complex geometries. In the first part of this work the solution of some physical problems at macroscale are presented. Finally, the solution of the momentum equation and the calculation of porosity and tortuosity in a simple and artificially generated porous domain are presented.