A finite volume method for multicomponent gas transport in a porous fuel cell electrode

We present a mathematical model for multicomponent gas transport in an anisotropic fuel cell electrode. The model couples the Maxwell-Stefan equations for multicomponent diffusion along with Darcy's law for flow in a porous medium. The equations are discretized using a finite volume approach with the method of lines, and the resulting non-linear system of differential equations is integrated in time using a stiff ODE solver. Numerical simulations are performed to validate the model and to investigate the effect of various parameters on fuel cell performance. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons.