Spatially and temporally resolved stainless steel bipolar plate degradation model for PEMFCs

Kravos, Andraž (avtor), Gričar, Miha (avtor), Drab, Mitja (avtor), Prijatelj, Matej (avtor), Katrašnik, Tomaž (avtor)

Predicting multilayer oxide growth on stainless-steel bipolar plates (BPPs) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) remains challenging because of the complex interplay between electrochemical and transport processes. To address this challenge, we present a BPP degradation model that accounts for the competitive growth of chromium and iron oxide layers and couple it with a real-time-capable, multi-scale, physics-based PEMFC performance model. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework reproduces experimentally observed oxide-thickness evolution and final composition from ToF-SIMS depth profiling with monolayer-level agreement within the uncertainty of the reconstructed literature dataset, while capturing oxygen-vacancy generation, diffusion, and annihilation across the multilayer passive film. Furthermore, the coupled framework enables real-time prediction of spatially non-uniform oxide growth under realistic PEMFC operating conditions, revealing a strong dependence of corrosion dynamics on local cell conditions. The developed framework therefore supports mechanistic interpretation of BPP degradation and provides a basis for future model-based monitoring of stainless-steel BPP degradation in PEMFC systems.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: proton exchange membrane fuel cell, modeling, multilayer oxide growth, stainless steel bipolar plates, spatial non-uniformity, degradation
• Vrsta gradiva: Članek v reviji
• Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
• Organizacija: FS - Fakulteta za strojništvo
• Status publikacije: Objavljeno
• Različica publikacije: Objavljena publikacija
• Leto izida: 2026
• Št. strani: 17 str.
• Številčenje: Vol. 256, art. 156386
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-184805
• UDK: 542.943:621.352.6
• ISSN pri članku: 0360-3199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.156386
• COBISS.SI-ID: 284864515
• Datum objave v RUL: 15.07.2026

Gradivo je del revije

• Naslov: International journal of hydrogen energy
• Skrajšan naslov: Int. j. hydrogen energy
• Založnik: Elsevier, Pergamon
• ISSN: 0360-3199
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3338511

Licence

• Licenca: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Priznanje avtorstva-Nekomercialno-Brez predelav 4.0 Mednarodna
• Povezava: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.sl
• Opis: Najbolj omejujoča licenca Creative Commons. Uporabniki lahko prenesejo in delijo delo v nekomercialne namene in ga ne smejo uporabiti za nobene druge namene.

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Ključne besede: gorivne celice, protonske izmenjevalne membrane, modeliranje, rast večplastnih oksidov, bipolarne plošče iz nerjavečega jekla, prostorska neenakomernost, degradacija