The design and manufacturing of innovative materials with required properties is a key objective for developing advanced technologies in the field of energy, such as Hydrogen and Alcaline fuel cells and Electrolysers. These improvements will contribute to propose even more attractive low-carbon electrical energy systems, with reduced pollution and green-house effects.
This thesis focuses on the Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL) which plays a crucial role on the performance and durability of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC).
Your main aim will be to set-up a numerical approach so as to propose improved porous structures to optimize the different transports inside a GDL, for given targets and constraints. To do so, you will make the bridge between advanced modeling of (electrical, heat, liquid, gas) transports in 3D porous media and artificial intelligence. You will then analyze the influence of the operating conditions on such optimal structures and propose design recommendations.
This work will be conducted in close relationship between world-renowned scientific actors : the fuel cells and the modelling teams of CEA/LITEN (Grenoble), the specialists of transports in porous media at CNRS/IMFT (Toulouse), and the specialists of GDL, modeling and AI at FZJ (Juelich, https://www.fz-juelich.de/en).
Scientific publications are expected and patents could also be proposed.