Abstract
Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) serves as a central component in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Reliability of the MEA is critical to ensure a proper functioning of the fuel cell. The objective of the present study is to develop a numerical model to predict the onset of MEA crack formation. Tensile tests have been conducted at different humidities and temperatures to determine the mechanical properties of MEA. The results of these experiments were combined to a finite element model to establish a failure criterion of MEA, both for direct and fatigue crack. The proposed criterion, based on dissipated energy, was shown to successfully predict the failure of the MEA in various environmental conditions.
