VERSION 4.

3
Introduction to
Batteries & Fuel Cells Module
C o n t a c t I n f o r ma t i o n
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Part No. CM021502
I n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e B a t t e r i e s & F u e l C e l l s M o d u l e
19982012 COMSOL
Protected by U.S. Patents 7,519,518; 7,596,474; and 7,623,991. Patents pending.
This Documentation and the Programs described herein are furnished under the COMSOL Software License
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COMSOL, COMSOL Desktop, COMSOL Multiphysics, and LiveLink are registered trademarks or trade-
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respective holders.
Version: May 2012 COMSOL 4.3
| 3
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Battery Modeling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The Battery Modeling Interfaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Fuel Cell Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Fuel Cell Modeling Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Physics List by Space Dimension and Study Type. . . . . . 16
The Model Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Model Definition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Results and Discussion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
4 |
Introduction | 5
Introduction
The Batteries & Fuel Cells Module models and simulates the fundamental processes
in the electrodes and electrolytes of batteries and fuel cells. These simulations may
involve the transpor t of charged and neutral species, current conduction, fluid flow,
heat transfer, and electrochemical reactions in porous electrodes.
You can use this module to investigate the performance of batteries and fuel cells at
different operating conditions for different electrode configurations, separators,
current collectors and feeders, materials, and chemistry. The description of the
involved processes and phenomena is rather detailed and you can therefore apply
different hypotheses to gain an understanding of the investigated systems. You can
study the influence of different electrocatalysts, pore distribution, electrolyte
composition, and other fundamental parameters directly in the user interface.
The figure below shows the Batteries & Fuel Cells interfaces and other physics
interfaces in COMSOL Multiphysics that are modified by the module, for example
the Heat Transfer interfaces.
Figure 1: The 3D model physics list for the Batteries & Fuel Cells Module as shown in the Model Wizard.
6 | Introduction
The modules interfaces describe different phenomena in batteries and fuel cells and
are based on the conservation of current, charge, chemical species, and energy.
The Battery with Binary Electrolyte ( ), the Lead-Acid Battery ( ), and the
Lithium-Ion Battery ( ) interfaces form the basis for battery modeling. In addition,
the Primary Current Distribution ( ), Secondary Current Distribution ( ), and
Ter tiary Current Distribution, Nernst-Planck ( ) interfaces are general physics
interfaces to model any electrochemical cell. The Chemical Species Transpor t ( ),
the Fluid Flow ( ) and the Heat Transfer ( ) interfaces are also extended with
functionality for battery modeling, as discussed in Battery Modeling on page 7.
The Primary, Secondary, and Ter tiary Current Distribution interfaces, in combination
with the interfaces for Chemical Species Transpor t, Fluid Flow, and Heat Transfer,
form the basis for fuel cell modeling, as discussed in Fuel Cell Modeling on page 12.
Battery Modeling | 7
Battery Modeling
The Batteries & Fuel Cells Module has a number of physics interfaces to model
battery unit cells that consist of:
Current collectors and current feeders
Porous electrodes
The electrolyte that separates the anode and cathode
The module treats both rechargeable batteries (secondary cells) and
non-rechargeable batteries (primary cells).
This module can be used to study the charge and discharge processes in a
rechargeable battery as described below.
Figure 2: Direction of the current and charge transfer current during discharge in a battery with porous
electrodes.
During discharge, chemical energy is transferred to electrical energy in the charge
transfer reactions at the anode and cathode. The conversion of chemical to electrical
energy during discharge may involve electrochemical reactions, transpor t of electric
current, transpor t of ions in the electrolyte, neutral chemical species transpor t, fluid
flow, and the release of heat in irreversible losses, such as ohmic losses and losses
due to activation energies.
Cathodic charge transfer
reaction
Anodic charge transfer reaction
Current in positive electrode
Current in the electrolyte
Current in negative electrode
negative electrode positive electrode
anode cathode
negative electrode positive electrode
Ecell
iloc
iloc, a
iloc, c
E
8 | Battery Modeling
Figure 2 shows a schematic picture of the discharge process. The current enters the
cell from the current feeder at the negative electrode. The charge transfer reaction
occurs at the interface between the electrode material and electrolyte contained in
the porous electrode, also called the pore electrolyte. Here, an oxidation of the
electrode material may take place through an anodic charge transfer reaction,
denoted i
loc, a
in Figure 2. The shapes of the two curves in the graph are described
by the electrode kinetics for the specific materials. The reaction may also involve the
transpor t of chemical species from the pore electrolyte and also from the electrode
par ticles.
From the pore electrolyte, the current is conducted by the transpor t of ions through
the electrolyte that separates the positive and negative electrode to the pore
electrolyte in the positive electrode.
At the interface between the pore electrolyte and the surface of the par ticles in the
porous electrode, the charge transfer reaction transfers the electrolyte current to
current conducted by electrons in the positive electrode. At this interface, a
reduction of the electrode material takes place through a cathodic charge transfer
reaction, denoted i
loc, c
in Figure 3. Also here, the charge transfer reaction may
involve the transpor t of chemical species in the electrolyte and in the electrode
par ticles.
Figure 3: Electrode polarization during discharge.
The current leaves the cell through the current collector. The conduction of current
and the electrochemical charge transfer reactions also releases heat due to ohmic
losses, activation losses, and other irreversible processes.
positive electrode negative electrode
iloc
iloc, a
iloc, c
anode cathode
Ecell
Eocv
E
Battery Modeling | 9
The graph in Figure 3 plots the charge transfer current density, i
loc
, as a function of
the electrode potential, E. These curves describe the polarization of the electrodes
during discharge.
The negative electrode is polarized anodically during discharge, positive current as
indicated by the arrow in Figure 3. The potential of the negative electrode increases.
The positive electrode is polarized cathodically, a negative current as indicated by the
arrow. The potential of the positive electrode decreases.
Consequently, Figure 3 also shows that the potential difference between the
electrodes, here denoted E
cell
, decreases during discharge compared to the open cell
voltage, here denoted E
ocv
. The value of E
cell
is the cell voltage at a given current i
loc
,
if the ohmic losses in the cell are negligible. This is usually not the case in most
batteries. This implies that the cell voltage in most cases is slightly smaller than that
shown in Figure 3.
During recharge, the processes are reversed; see Figure 4. Electrical energy is
transformed to chemical energy that is stored in the battery.
Figure 4: During recharge, the positive electrode acts as the anode while the negative one acts as the
cathode. The cell voltage increases, at a give current, compared to the open cell voltage.
The current enters the cell at the positive electrode. Here, during recharge, an
oxidation of the products from the discharge takes place through an anodic charge
Anodic charge transfer reaction
Cathodic charge transfer reaction
Current in positive electrode
Current in the electrolyte
Current in negative electrode
negative electrode
positive electrode
cathode anode
iloc
iloc, a
iloc, c
Ecell
E
negative electrode positive electrode
10 | Battery Modeling
transfer reaction. The positive electrode is polarized anodically, with a positive
current, and the electrode potential increases.
The current is then conducted from the pore electrolyte, through the electrolyte that
separates the electrodes, to the negative electrode.
In the negative electrode, a reduction of the reduced products from the previous
discharge reaction takes place through a cathodic charge transfer reaction. The
negative electrode is polarized cathodically and the electrode potential decreases.
Figure 5: Electrode polarization during recharge.
The difference in potential between the electrodes, here denoted E
cell
, at a given i
loc
,
increases during recharge, compared to the open cell voltage, here denoted E
ocv
.
The value of E
cell
is equal to the cell voltage when ohmic losses are neglected. In most
cells, these losses are not negligible and they would add to the cell voltage.
The battery processes and phenomena described in the figures above can all be
investigated using the Batteries & Fuel Cells Module. The physics included in the
module allow you to investigate the influence on battery performance and thermal
management of parameters such as the:
Choice of materials and chemistry
Dimensions and geometry of the current collectors and feeders
Dimension and geometry of the electrodes
Size of the par ticles that the porous electrodes are made of
Porosity and specific surface area of the porous electrode
Configuration of the battery components
iloc
iloc, a
iloc, c
positive electrode negative electrode
cathode
anode
Eocv
Ecell
E
Battery Modeling | 11
The Battery Modeling Interfaces
The Battery with Binary Electrolyte interface ( ) describes the conduction of
electric current in the electrodes, the charge transfer reactions in the porous
electrodes, the mass transpor t of ions in the pore electrolyte and in the electrolyte
that separates the electrodes, and the intercalation of species in the par ticles that
form the porous electrodes. The descriptions are available for cells with basic binary
electrolyte, which covers the nickel-metal hydride and the nickel-cadmium batteries.
The Lead-Acid Battery interface ( ) is tailored for this type of battery and includes
functionality that describes the transpor t of charged species, charge transfer
reactions, the variation of porosity due to charge and discharge, and the average
superficial velocity of the electrolyte caused by the change in porosity.
The Lithium-Ion Battery interface ( ) is tailored for this type of battery and includes
functionality that describes the transpor t of charged species, charge transfer
reactions, internal par ticle diffusion, and the solid electrolyte interface (SEI).
The Ter tiary Current Distribution, Nernst-Planck, interface ( ) describes the
transpor t of charged species in electrolytes through diffusion, migration, and
convection. In addition, it also includes ready-made formulations for porous and
non-porous electrodes, including charge transfer reactions and current conduction in
the electronic conductors.
The Chemical Species Transpor t interfaces ( ) describe the transpor t of ions in
the pore electrolyte and in the electrolyte that separates the anode and cathode.
Other reactions can be added other than pure electrochemical reactions, for
example to describe the degradation of materials. In combination with the
Secondary Current Distribution interface ( ), the Transpor t of Concentrated
Species interface ( ) and the Species Transpor t in Porous Media interface ( ) can
be used to model the transpor t of charged species and the electrochemical reactions
in most battery systems.
The Fluid Flow interfaces ( ) describe the fluid flow in the porous electrodes and
in free media if this is relevant for a specific type of battery, for example cer tain types
of lead-acid batteries.
The Heat Transfer in Porous Media interface ( ) describes heat transfer in the cells.
This includes the effects of Joule heating in the electrode material and in the
electrolyte, heating due to activation losses in the electrochemical reactions, and of
the net change of entropy. The heat of reactions from other reactions than the
electrochemical reactions can also be described by these interfaces.
12 | Fuel Cell Modeling
Fuel Cell Modeling
This module includes functionality to model fuel cell unit cells that consist of:
Current collectors and current feeders
Gas channels usually formed by grooves in the current collectors and feeders
Porous gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs)
An electrolyte that separates the anode and cathode
Figure 6 shows a schematic drawing of a fuel cell unit cell and the structure of one
of the GDEs. It represents a fuel cell unit cell and a magnified section of the cathode
GDE and its contact with the electrolyte.
Figure 6: Fuel cell unit cell and a magnified section of the cathode GDE and its contact with the
electrolyte.
Oxygen and hydrogen are supplied to the cell through the gas channels in the current
collector and current feeder, respectively. The current collector and the current
feeder are usually made of electronic conducting materials and are equipped with
grooves that form the gas channels. These grooves are open channels with the open
side facing the surface of the GDEs.
The current collectors and feeders also conduct the current to the wires connected
to the load. They can also supply cooling required during operation and heating
required during star t-up of the cell.
Cathode
Anode
Electrolyte
electrolyte
load
pore electrolyte
GDE
gas
current collector
current feeder
Direction of
the current
Gas channels in
current collectors
and current feeders
Fuel Cell Modeling | 13
The GDE magnified in Figure 6 is an oxygen-reducing cathode in a fuel cell with acidic
electrolyte, for example the PEMFC. In the PEMFC, the active GDE is confined to a
thin active layer suppor ted by a pure gas diffusion layer (GDE).
Figure 7 shows the principle of the oxygen reduction process in the electrode.
Figure 7: Transport of oxygen, water, protons, and electrons to and from the reaction site in an oxygen
reducing GDE.
From the free electrolyte, current enters the electrolyte contained in the GDE (also
called pore electrolyte) as protons, and is transferred to electron current in the
charge transfer reaction at the reaction sites. These reaction sites are situated at the
interface between the electrocatalyst in the electrode material and the pore
electrolyte.
Figure 7 also describes the schematic path of the current in the electrode. The
current in the pore electrolyte decreases as a function of the distance from the free
electrolyte as it is transferred to electron current in the electrode. The direction of
the current in the electrode is opposite to that of the electrons, by definition.
H
+
2H
+
+1/2O
2
+2e
-
= H
2
O
e
-
O
2
H
2
O
Current by ion transport
Current by electron transport
Charge transfer reaction
Oxygen transport
Water transport
Charge transfer reaction:
electrolyte
electrode
gas
14 | Fuel Cell Modeling
The supply of oxygen takes place in conjunction with the charge transfer reaction and
can be subject to mass transpor t resistance both in the gas phase and in the thin layer
of pore electrolyte that covers the reaction site.
The water balance in the electrode is maintained through evaporation and transpor t
through the gas pores.
The pore electrolyte has to form an unbroken path from the free electrolyte,
between the anode and the cathode, to the reaction site. Also, the electrode
material and the gas pores must each form an unbroken path to the reaction site or
to the pore electrolyte covering the reaction site.
The processes described above including fluid flow, chemical species transpor t, heat
transfer, current conduction in the collectors, feeders, electrodes and electrolytes,
and the electrochemical reactions are all coupled together, and determine the
characteristics of a unit cell.
Several impor tant design parameters can be investigated by modeling these
processes. Among these parameters are:
Porosity, active surface area, and pore electrolyte content of the GDEs
Geometry of the GDEs (active layer and GDL for the PEMFC) and electrolyte in
relation to the gas channels, the current collectors, and feeders
Geometry of the grooves that form the gas channels and dimensions of the
current collectors and feeders
The Fuel Cell Modeling Interfaces
The fluid flow in the gas channels and in the GDEs are addressed by the Fluid Flow
interfacesthe Laminar Flow ( ), Free and Porous Media Flow ( ), and Darcys
Law ( ) interfaces.
The transpor t of gaseous species and the mass transpor t resistance in the pore
electrolyte is handled by the Chemical Species Transpor t interfaces ( ), which all
have nodes that couple the transpor t in the gas phase to the electrochemical
reactions. The Chemical Species Transpor t interfaces are also coupled to the Fluid
Flow interfaces ( ) through the gas density, which is influenced by the gas
composition.
The Heat Transfer interfaces ( ) handle the effects of Joule heating in the
electrolyte, in the pore electrolyte, and in the electrodes. They include the
contribution to the thermal balance from the electrochemical reactions due to the
activation overpotential and the net change of entropy.
Fuel Cell Modeling | 15
The current transpor t by ions in the free electrolyte and in the pore electrolyte, the
current transpor t by electrons, and the charge transfer reactions are all treated in
the Secondary Current Distribution ( ) and the Ter tiary Current Distribution,
Nernst-Planck ( ) interfaces. In the Secondary Current Distribution interface, the
variations in composition in the electrolyte are neglected. In the Ter tiary Current
Distribution, Nernst-Planck interface, also the contribution of diffusion to the
transpor t of ions, and thus the contribution to the current in the electrolyte, is taken
into account.
The Electrode, Shell interface ( ) models electric current conduction in the
tangential direction on a boundary. The interface is suitable to use for thin electrodes
where the potential variation in the normal direction to the electrode is negligible.
This assumption allows for the thin electrode domain to be replaced by a par tial
differential equation formulation on the boundary. In this way the problem size can
be reduced, and potential problems with mesh anisotropy in the thin layer can be
avoided.
16 | Physics List by Space Dimension and Study Type
Physics List by Space Dimension and Study Type
The table lists the physics interfaces available with this module in addition to those
included with the COMSOL basic license.
PHYSICS ICON TAG SPACE DIMENSION PRESET STUDIES
Chemical Species Transport
Surface Reactions chsr all dimensions stationary; time dependent
Transport of Concentrated
Species
chcs all dimensions stationary; time dependent
Species Transport in Porous Media chpm all dimensions stationary; time dependent
Reacting Flow, Concentrated
Species
rfcs 3D, 2D, 2D
axisymmetric
stationary; time dependent
Reacting Flow, Diluted Species rfds 3D, 2D, 2D
axisymmetric
stationary; time dependent
Electrochemistry
Primary Current Distribution piec all dimensions stationary
Secondary Current Distribution siec all dimensions stationary; time dependent;
AC impedance stationary; AC
impedance time dependent
Tertiary Current Distribution,
Nernst-Planck
tcdee all dimensions stationary; time dependent;
AC impedance stationary; AC
impedance time dependent
Electrode. Shell els 3D, 2D, 2D
axisymmetric
stationary; time dependent
Battery Interfaces
Lithium-Ion Battery liion all dimensions stationary; time dependent;
AC impedance stationary; AC
impedance time dependent
Battery with Binary Electrolyte batbe all dimensions stationary; time dependent;
AC impedance stationary; AC
impedance time dependent
Lead Acid Battery leadbat all dimensions stationary; time dependent;
AC impedance stationary; AC
impedance time dependent
Physics List by Space Dimension and Study Type | 17
Fluid Flow
Porous Media and Subsurface Flow
Brinkman Equations br 3D, 2D, 2D
axisymmetric
stationary; time dependent
Darcys Law dl all dimensions stationary; time dependent
Free and Porous Media Flow fp 3D, 2D, 2D
axisymmetric
stationary; time dependent
Heat Transfer
Heat Transfer in Porous Media ht all dimensions stationary; time dependent
PHYSICS ICON TAG SPACE DIMENSION PRESET STUDIES
18 | The Model Library
The Model Library
To open a Batteries & Fuel Cells Module Model Library model, select View > Model
Library from the main menu in COMSOL Multiphysics. In the Model Library
window that opens, expand the Batteries & Fuel Cells Module folder and browse or
search the contents. Click Open Model and PDF to open the model in COMSOL
Multiphysics and a PDF to read background theory about the model including the
step-by-step instructions to build it.
The MPH-files in the COMSOL model libraries can have two formatsFull MPH-files
or Compact MPH-files.
Full MPH-files, including all meshes and solutions. In the Model Library these
models appear with the icon. If the MPH-files size exceeds 25MB, a tip with
the text Large file and the file size appears when you position the cursor at the
models node in the Model Library tree.
Compact MPH-files with all settings for the model but without built meshes and
solution data to save space on the DVD (a few MPH-files have no solutions for
other reasons). You can open these models to study the settings and to mesh and
re-solve the models. It is also possible to download the full versionswith meshes
and solutionsof most of these models through Model Library Update. In the
Model Library these models appear with the icon. If you position the cursor
at a compact model in the Model Library window, a No solutions stored message
appears. If a full MPH-file is available for download, the corresponding nodes
context menu includes a Model Library Update item.
Two models from the Model Library are used as tutorials in this guide. See Tutorial
Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery star ting on page 19 and the Tutorial Model: Fuel
Cell Cathode star ting on page 31.
The next two sections introduce you to the battery and fuel cell modeling basics.
Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery | 19
Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery
The following is a two-dimensional model of a lithium-ion battery. The cell geometry
could be a small par t of an experimental cell but here it is only meant to demonstrate
a 2D model setup. A realistic 2D geometry is shown in the model Edge Effects in a
Spirally Wound Li-Ion Battery available in the Batteries & Fuel Cells Module Model
Library (see The Model Library on page 18 to access this model).
The cell geometry is shown in the figure below. Due to symmetry along the height
of the battery, the 3D geometry can be modeled using a 2D cross section. The figure
shows the position of the positive and negative electrode, and the position of the
collector and feeder contacts during discharge.
During discharge, the current collector is in contact with the outer face of the battery
(red face, middle) while the current feeder runs inside of the folded structure (blue
faces, middle). The modeled 2D cross section is shown in light blue (right).
The resulting 2D cell geometry is shown in the next figure. During discharge, the
positive electrode acts as the cathode and the contact of the metallic tab acts as a
positive
electrode
electrolyte negative
electrode
cross-section current
collector
(discharge)
current
feeder
(discharge)
20 | Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery
current collector. The negative electrode then acts as the anode and the contact of
the metallic tab acts as the current feeder.
The model defines and solves the current and material balances in the lithium-ion
battery. The intercalation of lithium inside the par ticles in the positive and negative
electrode is solved using a four th independent variable for the par ticle radius (x, y,
and t are the other three). The reaction kinetics and the intercalation are coupled to
the material and current balances at the surface of the par ticles. The model
equations are found in the Batteries & Fuel Cells Module Users Guide. The model was
originally formulated for 1D simulations by John Newman and his co-workers at the
University of California at Berkeley.
The purpose of the 2D simulation is to reveal the distribution of the depth of
discharge, as a function of discharge time, in the different par ts of the electrodes.
This distribution is caused by the position of the current collector and feeder and the
thickness of the electrodes and electrolyte in combination with the electrode kinetics
and transpor t proper ties.
The following instructions show how to formulate, solve, and reproduce this model.
current collector
current feeder
positive electrode
negative electrode
1.3 mm
Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery | 21
MODEL WI ZARD
1 Open COMSOL Multiphysics.
2 In the Model Wizard, click the 2D button. Click Next .
3 On the Add Physics window, under Electrochemistry>Battery Interfaces , double-click
Lithium-Ion Battery (liion) to add it to the Selected physics list. Click Next .
4 On the Studies window under Preset Studies, click Time Dependent .
5 Click Finish .
GLOBAL DEFI NI TI ONS
Load the parameter values to be used in the model from a parameter file.
Parameters
1 In the Model Builder, right-click Global Definitions and choose Parameters .
2 In the settings window under Parameters, click Load from File .
3 Browse to the file li_battery_tutorial_2d_parameters.txt in the Model Library
folder on your computer, models\Batteries_and_Fuel_Cells_Module\Tutorial Models.
Double-click to add or click Open.
Note: The location of the file used in this exercise varies based on the installation of
COMSOL Multiphysics. For example, if the installation is on your hard drive, the file path
might be similar to C:\Program Files\COMSOL43\models\.
The parameters are added to the table as in this figure.
22 | Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery
GEOMETRY 1
Also impor t the geometry from a file.
1 In the Model Builder under Model 1, right-click Geometry 1 and choose Import .
2 In the settings window under Import, click the Browse button.
3 Browse to the file li_battery_tutorial_2d.mphbin in the Model Library folder on
your computer, Batteries_and_Fuel_Cells_Module\Tutorial Models. Double-click to add or
click Open.
Note: The location of the file used in this exercise varies based on the installation of
COMSOL Multiphysics. For example, if the installation is on your hard drive, the file path
might be similar to C:\Program Files\COMSOL43\models\.
4 Click Import and then the Build All button .
MATERI ALS
Use the Batteries and Fuel Cells Material Library to set up the material proper ties
for the electrolyte and electrode materials. By adding the electrolyte material to the
model first, this material becomes the default material for all domains.
Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery | 23
1:2 EC:DMC / LiPF6 (Li-ion Battery)
1 Select View>Material Browser from the main menu.
2 In the Material Browser window in the tree under Batteries and Fuel Cells, right-click 1:2
EC:DMC / LiPF6 (Li-ion Battery) and choose Add Material to Model from the menu.
LixC6 Electrode (Negative, Li-ion Battery)
1 Go to the Material Browser window.
2 In the tree under Batteries and Fuel Cells, right-click LixC6 Electrode (Negative, Li-ion
Battery) and choose Add Material to Model from the menu.
LixMn2O4 Electrode (Positive, Li-ion Battery)
1 Go to the Material Browser window.
2 In the Materials tree under Batteries and Fuel Cells, right-click LixMn2O4 Electrode
(Positive, Li-ion Battery) and choose Add Material to Model from the menu.
The node sequence in the Model Builder
under the Materials node should match this
figure.
24 | Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery
LI THI UM- I ON BATTERY I NTERFACE
Now set up the physics in the domains. Star t with the negative porous electrode.
Porous Electrode 1
1 Right-click Lithium-Ion Battery and choose Porous Electrode .
2 Select Domain 3 only.
Note: There are many ways to select geometric entities. When you know the
geometric entity to add, such as in these exercises, you can click the Paste Selection
button and enter the information in the Selection field. For more information about
selecting geometric entities in the Graphics window, see the COMSOL Multiphysics
Users Guide.
3 Go to the Porous Electrode settings window. Under Model Inputs, from the c list, select
Electrolyte salt concentration (liion/liion).
4 Under Electrode Properties, select LixC6 Electrode (Negative, Li-ion Battery) from the
Electrode material list.
5 Under Particle Intercalation from the
Particle material list, select LixC6
Electrode (Negative, Li-ion Battery).
6 Enter cs0_neg as the Initial species
concentration (c
s,init
) and rp_neg in
the Particle mean center-surface
distance (r
p
) field.
Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery | 25
7 Under Volume Fractions, in the
Electrode volume fraction (
s
) field,
enter epss_neg. In the Electrolyte
volume fraction (
l
) field enter
epsl_neg.
8 Under Effective Transport Parameter
Correction, choose Bruggeman from all
the listsElectrolyte conductivity,
Electrical conductivity and Diffusion.
Porous Electrode Reaction 1
1 In the Model Builder, expand the Porous Electrode 1
node and click the Porous Electrode Reaction 1
node.The D in the upper left corner of a node
means it is a default node.
2 Under Model Inputs from the c list,
select Insertion particle concentration,
surface (liion/pce1).
3 Under Equilibrium Potential, select
From material.
4 Under Materials select LixC6 Electrode
(Negative, Li-ion Battery) from the list.
Now set up the positive porous
electrode in a similar way.
Porous Electrode 2
1 Right-click Lithium-Ion Battery and add another Porous Electrode node.
2 Select Domain 1 only.
26 | Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery
3 In the Porous Electrode settings window, under Model Inputs, select Electrolyte salt
concentration (liion/liion) from the c list.
4 Under Electrode Properties, select LixMn2O4 Electrode (Positive, Li-ion Battery) from the
Electrode material list.
5 Under Particle Intercalation, select LixMn2O4 Electrode (Positive, Li-ion Battery) from the
Particle material list. Enter cs0_pos in the Initial species concentration (c
s,init
) field, and
enter rp_pos in the Particle mean center-surface distance (r
p
) field.
6 Under Volume Fractions, enter epss_pos in the Electrode volume fraction (
s
) field. In the
Electrolyte volume fraction (
l
) field, enter epsl_pos.
7 Under Effective Transport Parameter Correction, choose Bruggeman from all the lists
Electrolyte conductivity, Electrical conductivity, and Diffusion.
Porous Electrode Reaction 1
1 In the Model Builder, expand the Porous Electrode 2
node and click Porous Electrode Reaction 1 .
2 Under Model Inputs from the c list, select Insertion
particle concentration, surface (liion/liion).
3 Under Equilibrium Potential, select From material.
4 Under Materials select LixMn2O4 Electrode (Positive,
Li-ion Battery) from the list.
Electrolyte is the default domain node . This default node is now applied to
Domain 2 only. No additional settings are needed for this node.
Initial Values 2
Initial values are needed for the solver to converge. Star t with the positive electrode.
1 Right-click Lithium-Ion Battery and choose Initial Values .
2 Select Domain 1 only.
3 In the Initial Values settings window under Initial
Values, enter -0.2 in the Electrolyte potential
(phil) field and 4.1 the Electric potential (phis)
field.
Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery | 27
Initial Values 1 (the Default Node)
The default Initial Values node is now applied to the negative electrode and the
electrolyte domains only.
1 In the Model Builder, click Initial Values 1 .
2 Go to the Initial Values settings window. Under
Initial Values enter -0.2 in the Electrolyte potential
(phil) field.
Finish the model by setting up the boundary
conditions. Ground the negative electrode current
feeder, and apply a current density condition at the
positive current collector.
Electric Ground 1
1 Right-click Lithium-Ion Battery and choose Electrode>Electric Ground .
2 Select boundaries 7, 9, and 15 only (or click the Paste Selection button and enter 7,
9, 15 in the Paste Selection window).
Electrode Current Density 1
1 Right-click Lithium-Ion Battery and choose
Electrode>Electrode Current Density .
2 Select Boundary 14 only.
3 In the settings window under Electrode Current
Density, enter -200[A/m^2] in the Inward electrode
current density (i
n,s
) field.
MESH 1
Modify the default mesh by choosing a finer size.
1 In the Model Builder under Model 1, click Mesh 1 .
2 In the Mesh settings window under Mesh Settings, from the Element size list choose
Extra fine.
28 | Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery
3 Click the Build All button .
STUDY 1
Set up a 100 s time-dependent solver to store the solution at 1 s intervals during the
first 10 s, and 10 s intervals during the last 90 s. Then solve the problem.
Step 1: Time Dependent
1 In the Model Builder expand the Study 1 node and click Step 1: Time Dependent .
2 In the settings window under Study
Settings, in the Times field enter (or
copy and paste) range(0,1,10),
range(20,10,100).
3 Choose the Relative tolerance check
box and enter 0.001.
4 In the Model Builder, right-click Study 1 and choose Compute .
Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery | 29
RESULTS
2D Plot Group 3
The following steps create a plot of the solid lithium concentration at the surface of
the electrode par ticles at 100 s.
1 In the Model Builder, right-click Results and choose 2D Plot Group .
2 In the 2D Plot Group settings window under Data, choose 100 from the Time list.
3 Right-click 2D Plot Group 3 and choose Surface .
4 In the Surface settings window under Expression, click Replace Expression and
choose Lithium-Ion Battery>Insertion particle concentration, surface (liion.cs_surface).
5 Click the Plot button .
6 On the Graphics toolbar click the Zoom Extents button .
1D Plot Group 4
The following steps create a plot of the cell potential during the simulation.
1 In the Model Builder, right-click Results and choose 1D Plot Group .
2 Right-click 1D Plot Group 4 and choose Point Graph .
3 Select Point 11 only.
4 In the Point Graph settings window under Expression, enter phis in the Expression field.
30 | Tutorial Model of a Lithium-Ion Battery
5 Click the Plot button .
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode | 31
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode
One of the most impor tantand most difficultparameters to model in a fuel cell
is the mass transpor t through gas diffusion and reactive layers. Gas concentrations
are often quite large and are significantly affected by the reactions that take place.
This makes Fickian diffusion an inappropriate assumption to model the mass
transpor t.
Figure 8 shows an example 3D geometry of a cathode from a fuel cell with
perforated current collectors. It is often seen in self-breathing cathodes or in small
experimental cells. Due to the perforation layout, a 3D model is needed in the study
of the mass transpor t, current, and reaction distributions.
Figure 8: A fuel cell cathode with a perforated current collector.
This model investigates such a geometry and the mass transpor t that occurs through
Maxwell-Stefan diffusion. It couples this mass transpor t to a generic, Tafel-like
electrochemical kinetics in the reaction term at a cathode.
gas inlet hole
unit cell
r
e
a
c
t
iv
e
la
y
e
r
e
le
c
t
r
o
ly
t
e

la
y
e
r
32 | Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode
Model Definition
Figure 9 shows details for a unit cell from Figure 8. The circular hole in the collector
is where the gas enters the modeling domain, where the composition is known. The
upper rectangular domain is the reaction-zone electrode. It is a porous structure that
contains the feed-gas mixture, an electronically conducting material covered with an
electrocatalyst, and an electrolyte. The lower domain corresponds to a free
electrolyte ionically interconnecting the two electrodes of the fuel cell. No reaction
takes place in this domain. Neither are there pores to allow gas to flow or material
for electronic currentcurrent is conducted ionically.
The reaction zone is 75 mm thick, as is the electrolyte layer. The unit cell is 1.5-by-1.5
mm in surface, and the gas inlet hole has a radius of 1.0 mm.
Figure 9: The modeled fuel cell cathode unit cell. The marked zone is the surface of the cathode that is
open to the feed gas inlet, while the rest of the top surface sits flush against the current collector. In the
unit cell the top domain is the porous cathode, while the bottom domain is the free electrolyte.
The electronic and ionic current balances are modeled using a Secondary Current
Distribution interface.
The species (mass) transpor t is modeled by the Maxwell-Stefan equations for oxygen
(Species 1) and water (Species 2) in the gas phase using a Transpor t of Concentrated
Species interface. Mass transpor t is solved for in the electrode domain only.
The velocity vector is solved for using a Darcys law interface.
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode | 33
Results and Discussion
Figure 10 shows the oxygen concentration at a total potential drop over the
modeled domain of 190 mV. The figure shows that concentration variations are small
along the thickness of the cathode for this relatively small current density, while they
are substantially larger along the electrodes width.
Figure 10: Isosurfaces of the weight fraction of oxygen at a total potential drop over the modeled domain
of 190 mV.
Figure 11 shows the gas velocity in the porous cathode. There is a significant velocity
peak at the edge of the inlet orifice. This is caused by the contributions of the reactive
layer underneath the current collector because in this region the convective flux
dominates the mass transpor t. Thus it is impor tant to model the velocity field
properly. In this case, the combination of a circular orifice and square unit cell
eliminates the possibility to approximate the geometry with a rotationally symmetric
model.
The electrochemical reaction rate, represented by the local current density, is related
to both the local overvoltage and oxygen concentration. Figure 12 depicts the local
overvoltage, which is rather even throughout the cathode. This is caused by the high
electronic conductivity in the porous material. Another observation is that the
maximum overvoltage is -180 mV. This means that there is a voltage loss of 10 mV
in the electrolyte layer.
34 | Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode
Figure 11: Velocity field for the gas phase in the cathodes porous reactive layer.
Figure 12: Local overvoltage in the cathode reactive layer.
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode | 35
Although the local overvoltage distribution is rather even, the concentration of
oxygen is not. This means that the reaction rate is nonuniform in the reactive layer.
One way to study the distribution of the reaction rate is to plot the ionic current
density at the bottom boundary of the free electrolyte. Figure 13 shows such a plot.
Figure 13: Current density perpendicular to the lower, free electrolyte boundary.
The current-density distribution shows that the variations are rather large. The
reaction rate and the current production are higher beneath the orifice and decrease
as the distance to the gas inlet increases. This means that the mass transpor t of
reactant dictates the electrodes efficiency for this design at these par ticular
conditions.
The following instructions show how to formulate, solve, and reproduce this model.
MODEL WI ZARD
1 Open the Model Wizard. The Space Dimension defaults to 3D. Click Next .
36 | Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode
2 Under Electrochemistry double-click Secondary Current Distribution (siec) to add it to
the Selected physics list.
3 Under Chemical Species Transport, double-click to add a Transport of Concentrated Species
(chcs) interface .
4 For this interface:
- Under Dependent variables, in the Number of
species field, enter 3.
- Enter w_n2, w_o2, and w_h2o in the Mass
fractions table, one name per row.
5 Under Fluid Flow>Porous Media and Subsurface
Flow, double-click to add a Darcy's Law (dl)
interface .
6 Click Next .
7 On the Studies window under Preset Studies for Selected Physics, click Stationary .
8 Click Finish .
GEOMETRY 1
Create Work Plane1, Add a Square and Extrude It
1 In the Model Builder under Model 1, right-click Geometry 1 and choose Work Plane .
2 Under Work Plane 1 right-click Plane Geometry and choose Square .
3 In the Square settings window under Size, enter 1.5e-3 in the Side length field.
4 Right-click Geometry 1 and choose Extrude .
5 In the Distances from Plane table, enter these
Distances (m) 0.75e-4 and 1.5e-4
6 Click the Build Selected button and on the
Graphics toolbar the Zoom Extents button .
Add Work Plane 2, Add a Square and Circle, and Intersect
1 Right-click Geometry 1 and add another Work Plane node.
2 In the settings window under Work Plane, enter 1.5e-4 in the z-coordinate field.
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode | 37
3 Under Work Plane 2 right-click Plane Geometry and add a Square .
4 Under Size, in the Side length field, enter 1.5e-3.
5 Under Work Plane 2, right-click Plane Geometry and add a Circle .
6 Under Size and Shape, enter 1e-3 in the Radius field.
7 Under Position, enter 1.5e-3 in both the xw
and the yw fields.
8 Click the Build Selected button and on the Graphics toolbar the Zoom Extents
button .
9 Under Work Plane 2, right-click Plane Geometry and choose Boolean
Operations>Intersection .
38 | Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode
10Add the objects sq1 and c1 to the Input
objects section. Click the Build Selected
button .
11Right-click Form Union and choose Build
Selected . Click the Zoom Extents button
on the Graphics toolbar.
The sequence of Geometry nodes in the Model Builder
should match this figure.
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode | 39
GLOBAL DEFI NI TI ONS AND DEFI NI TI ONS
Load the model parameters and variables from text files.
Import Parameters
1 In the Model Builder, right-click Global Definitions and choose Parameters .
2 In the settings window, under Parameters, click the Load from File button.
3 In the Model Library folder on your computer,
models\Batteries_and_Fuel_Cells_Module\Tutorial Models, double-click the file
fuel_cell_cathode_parameters.txt to import it to the Parameters table.
Note: The location of the files used in this exercise may varies based on the installation.
For example, if the installation is on your hard drive, the file path might be similar to
C:\Program Files\COMSOL43\models\.
The parameters are added to the table as in this figure.
Import Variables
1 Under Model 1, right-click Definitions and choose Variables .
2 In the settings window, under Variables, click the Load from File button.
40 | Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode
3 In the Model Library folder on your computer,
models\Batteries_and_Fuel_Cells_Module\Tutorial Models double-click the file
fuel_cell_cathode_variables.txt to import it to the Variables table.
Create Two Explicit Selection Nodes and Rename
1 In the Model Builder, right-click Definitions and choose Selections>Explicit .
2 Select Domain 1 only.
3 Right-click Explicit 1 and Rename the node as Free
electrolyte. Click OK.
4 Repeat these steps. Add a second Explicit node, select
Domain 2 only and Rename the node Porous cathode.
Click OK.
Define Two Sets of Variables
The electrolyte conductivity will be different in the two different domains. Create
domain specific variables for this parameter.
1 Add a second Variables node. Right-click Definitions and choose Variables .
2 In the Variables settings window, select Domain from the Geometric entity level list.
3 From the Selection list, choose Free electrolyte (the explicit selection just defined).
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode | 41
4 In the Variables table, enter the following settings:
5 Repeat these steps. Add a second Variables node, select Domain from the Geometric
entity level list, and Porous solid from the Selection list.
6 In the Variables table, enter the following settings:
The node sequence under Definitions should match the
figure.
SECONDARY CURRENT DI STRI BUTI ON
Now apply the settings for the current distribution model.
1 Click the Show button and choose Discretization.
2 Under Model 1 in the Model Builder click the Secondary Current Distribution node.
3 In the settings window, click to expand the
Discretization section. From the Electrolyte
potential list, choose Quadratic.
Define the Porous Electrode and Electrolyte Nodes
1 Expand the Secondary Current Distribution node,
then right-click and add a Porous Electrode
node .
2 In the settings window, under Domain Selection,
choose Porous solid (Domain 2) from the Selection
list.
NAME EXPRESSION DESCRIPTION
k_l 5[S/m] Conductivity, free electrolyte
NAME EXPRESSION DESCRIPTION
k_l 1[S/m] Effective conductivity, electrolyte
42 | Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode
3 Under Electrolyte Current Conduction, from the Electrolyte conductivity list (
l
), choose
User defined. In the field, enter k_l.
4 From the Effective conductivity correction list, choose No correction.
5 Under Electrode Current Conduction, the Electrical conductivity (
s
) list, choose User
defined. In the field, enter k_s.
6 From the Effective conductivity correction list, choose No correction.
7 In the Model Builder, click the Electrolyte 1 node,
which is added by default to the interface.
8 In the settings window under Electrolyte, from
the Electrolyte conductivity list (
l
), choose User
defined. Enter k_l in the field.
Define the Electric Potential and Electrolyte Potential Nodes
1 Right-click Secondary Current Distribution and from the boundary level Electrode
menu, add an Electric Potential node.
2 In the Electric Potential settings window, click the Paste Selection button . Enter 7 in
the Selection field. Click OK.
3 Under Electric Potential, in the Boundary electric potential (
s,bnd
) field, enter V_cell.
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode | 43
4 Right-click Secondary Current Distribution and from the boundary level Electrolyte
menu, add an Electrolyte Potential node.
5 In the Electrolyte Potential settings window, click the Paste Selection button . Enter 3
in the Selection field and click OK.
6 Under Electrolyte Potential, in the Boundary
electrolyte potential (
l,bnd
) field, enter phi0.
44 | Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode
Define the Porous Electrode Reaction Node
Now set up the porous electrode reaction current density. The current density
depends on the oxygen concentration.
1 In the Model Builder, click to expand the Porous Electrode 1 node. Click the Porous
Electrode Reaction 1 node.
2 Under Model Inputs section, replace the default Temperature value with T.
3 Under Equilibrium Potential, in the E
0,ref
field, enter dphi_eq.
4 Under Electrode Kinetics, from the Kinetics
expression type list, select Concentration
dependent kinetics.
5 Replace the default value in the Exchange
current density i
0
field with i0.
6 Replace the default value in the Oxidized
species expression C
0
field with
chcs.c_w_o2/c_o2_ref.
7 Under Active Specific Surface Area, in the
Active specific surface area (a
v
) field, enter S
(replace the default value).
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode | 45
Define the Initial Values Node
1 In the Model Builder, click the Initial
Values 1 node.
2 Under Initial Values, enter phi0 in the
Electrolyte potential (phil) field and V_cell
in the Electric potential (phis) field.
TRANSPORT OF CONCENTRATED SPECI ES
1 Click the Transport of Concentrated Species node.
2 In the settings window, under Domain
Selection, choose Porous cathode from the
Selection list.
3 Under Transport Mechanisms, choose
Maxwell-Stefan from the Diffusion model list.
Define the Convection and Diffusion Node
1 In the Model Builder, expand the Transport of Concentrated Species node, then click
the Convection and Diffusion 1 node.
46 | Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode
2 In the Convection and Diffusion settings
window under Density, replace all the defaults
with the following:
- in the M
wn2
field enter M_n2.
- In the M
wo2
field, enter M_o2.
- In the M
wh2o
field, enter M_h2o.
3 Under Diffusion, in the Maxwell-Stefan
diffusivity matrix D
ik
table, enter the following
- in the first row, second column, enter
D_o2n2_eff
- in the first row, third column, enter D_n2h2o_eff
- in the second row, third column, enter D_o2h2o_eff
The table should match this figure:
4 Both the velocity and pressure are coupled
to Darcy's law. Under Model Inputs, from
the Velocity field u list, choose Darcys
velocity field (dl/dlm1).
5 In the Temperature T field, replace the
default value with T.
Define the Porous Electrode Coupling and Reaction Coefficients Nodes
Couple the reaction rate of oxygen to the electrochemical currents.
1 Right-click Transport of Concentrated Species and add a Porous Electrode Coupling
node.
2 In the Porous Electrode Coupling settings window, under Domain Selection, choose Porous
solid from the Selection list.
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode | 47
3 Expand the Porous Electrode Coupling node and
click Reaction Coefficients 1 .
4 Under Model Inputs, from the Coupled reaction i
v

list, choose Local current source (siec/per1).
5 Under Stoichiometric Coefficients, in the Number
of participating electrons n
m
field, enter 4 and in
the Stoichiometric Coefficient
w_o2
field, enter -1.
Define the Initial Values Node
1 Click the Initial Values 1 node.
2 In the settings window, under Initial Values, enter
Mass fraction values: w_o2_ref in the w_o2 field
and w_h2o_ref in the w_h2o field.
Define the Inflow Node
1 Right-click the Transport of Concentrated
Species node and from the boundary level
add an Inflow node.
2 In the Inflow settings window, click the Paste
Selection button . Enter 10 in the Selection field
and click OK.
3 Under Inflow, in the w
0,wo2
field, enter
w_o2_ref and in the w
0,wh2o
field, enter
w_h2o_ref.
48 | Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode
DARCY' S LAW
Now do the settings for Darcy's law. The electrochemical currents will result in a
mass sink due to the oxygen molecules leaving the domain.
1 Click the Darcy's Law node.
2 In the Darcy's Law settings window, under Domain Selection, choose Porous solid from
the Selection list.
3 In the Model Builder, expand the Darcy's Law node,
then the click Fluid and Matrix Properties 1 node.
4 In the Fluid and Matrix Properties settings
window under Fluid Properties:
- From the Density list choose User defined
and enter chcs.rho in the field.
- From the Dynamic viscosity list, choose User
defined and enter mu in the field.
5 Under Matrix Properties:
- From the Permeability list, choose User
defined and enter perm in the field.
- From the Porosity
p
list, choose User defined
and enter e_por in the field.
Define the Porous Electrode Coupling and Reaction Coefficients Nodes
1 Right-click Darcy's Law and add a Porous Electrode Coupling node.
2 Under Domain Selection, choose Porous solid from the Selection list.
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode | 49
3 Under Species, click the Add button twice and
in the table, for each species, enter M_n2, M_o2,
and M_h2o in the Molar mass column.
4 In the Model Builder, expand the Porous Electrode
Coupling 1 node and click Reaction Coefficients 1 .
5 Under Model Inputs, from the Coupled reaction i
v
list,
choose Local current source (siec/per1).
6 Under Stoichiometric Coefficients, enter 4 in the
n
m
field and -1 in the
2
field.
Define the Initial Values Node
1 Click the Initial Values 1 node. In the settings window under Initial Values, enter
p_atm in the p field.
Define the Inflow Boundary Node
Set an inflow condition assuming an atmospheric pressure 1 mm above the inlet hole.
In this way very steep pressure gradients at the hole edge are avoided.
1 Right-click Darcy's Law and add an Inlet node.
2 Select Boundary 10 only. In the settings window, click
the Paste Selection button . Enter 10 in the
Selection field and click OK.
3 Under Inlet, enter (perm/mu)*(p_atm-p)/
1[mm] in the Normal inflow velocity U
0
field.
50 | Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode
MESH 1
You can use a fairly coarse mesh for this problem. The solution accuracy is increased
by using quadratic elements for the ionic potential.
1 In the Model Builder, right-click Mesh 1 and choose Free
Tetrahedral .
2 Click the Size node , and in the settings
window under Element Size, choose Extra fine
from the Predefined list.
3 Click the Build All button .
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode | 51
STUDY
1 In the Model Builder, right-click Study 1 and choose Compute .
RESULTS
Several default plots are generated under the Results node as discussed in the section
Results and Discussion on page 33. The following set of instructions involve adding
more plots to analyze the data even more.
Plot the Velocity Magnitude
1 In the Model Builder, right-click Results and choose 3D Plot Group . A 3D Plot Group 7
node is added to the Model Builder.
2 Right-click the 3D Plot Group 7 node and choose Slice .
3 In the upper-right corner of the Expression
section, click Replace Expression .
4 From the menu, choose Darcy's Law>Darcys
velocity magnitude (dl.U) (or enter dl.U in the
Expression field).
5 Right-click Slice 1 and choose Duplicate .
6 In the settings window for Slice 2, under
Coloring and Style, clear the Color legend check
box.
7 Under Plane Data from the Plane list, choose zx-planes.
8 Click the Plot button .
The plot in Figure 11 on page 34 displays in the Graphics window.
52 | Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode
9 Right-click 3D Plot Group 7 and Rename the node to Velocity Magnitude.
10Click the Velocity Magnitude node and in the settings window, click to expand the Title
section. Select Manual and edit the plot name.
Plot the Local Overvoltage
1 Add another 3D Plot Group to the Model Builder and right-click to add a Slice plot.
2 Under Expression in the Expression field, enter
siec.eta_per1 (replace any default).
3 Click the Plot button .
4 Right-click Slice 1 and choose Duplicate .
5 Under Plane Data from the Plane list, choose
zx-planes. Under Coloring and Style clear the
Color legend check box.
6 Click the Plot button .
The plot in Figure 12 on page 34 displays in the Graphics window.
7 Right-click and rename 3D Plot Group 8 to Local Overvoltage.
8 Click the Local Overvoltage node and in the settings window, click to expand the Title
section. Select Manual and edit the plot name.
Plot the Oxygen Mass Fraction
1 Add another 3D Plot Group with an Isosurface plot.
2 Click Replace Expression and from the menu Transport of Concentrated
Species>Species w_o2> menu, choose Mass fraction (w_o2) (or enter w_o2 in the
Expression field).
3 Under Levels in the Total levels field, enter 10. Click the Plot button .
The plot in Figure 10 on page 33 displays in the Graphics window.
4 Right-click and rename 3D Plot Group 9 to Oxygen Mass Fraction.
Add a Data Set and a Surface Plot
1 In the Model Builder under Results, right-click Data Sets and choose Cut Plane .
Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode | 53
2 Under Plane Data from the Plane list, choose
xy-planes.
3 Add another 3D Plot Group .
4 Under Data from the Data set list, choose Cut Plane 1.
5 Add a Surface plot to 3D Plot Group 10 .
6 Click Replace Expression and from the menu, choose Secondary Current
Distribution>Electrolyte current density vector>Electrolyte current density vector,
z component (siec.Ilz). Or enter siec.Ilz in the Expression field.
7 Click the Plot button .
The plot in Figure 13 on page 35 displays in the Graphics window.
8 Right-click and rename 3D Plot Group 10 to Electrolyte Current Density.
As a final step, pick one of the plots to use as a model thumbnail.
1 In the Model Builder under Results click Local Overvoltage .
2 From the File menu, choose Save Model Thumbnail.
To view the thumbnail image, click the Root node and look under the Model Thumbnail
section. Make adjustments to the image in the Graphics window using the toolbar
buttons until the image is one that is suitable to your purposes.
54 | Tutorial Model: Fuel Cell Cathode