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Al2O3–H2O nanofluids for cooling PEM fuel cells: A critical assessment (2022)
Journal Article
Zeiny, A., Al-Baghdadi, M. A., Arear, W. F., & Ismail, M. S. (2022). Al2O3–H2O nanofluids for cooling PEM fuel cells: A critical assessment. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 47(91), 38823-38836. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.09.040

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells are promising eco-friendly and sustainable power generation technology. Thermal management of these cells is one of the main challenges facing their commercialization. Alumina nanofluids, in addition to o... Read More about Al2O3–H2O nanofluids for cooling PEM fuel cells: A critical assessment.

Efficient X-ray CT-based numerical computations of structural and mass transport properties of nickel foam-based GDLs for PEFCs (2022)
Journal Article
Ercelik, M., Ismail, M. S., Ingham, D. B., Hughes, K. J., Ma, L., & Pourkashanian, M. (2023). Efficient X-ray CT-based numerical computations of structural and mass transport properties of nickel foam-based GDLs for PEFCs. Energy, 262, Article 125531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2022.125531

Nickel foams are excellent candidate materials for gas diffusion layers (GDLs) for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) and this is due to their superior structural and transport properties. A highly computationally-efficient framework has been dev... Read More about Efficient X-ray CT-based numerical computations of structural and mass transport properties of nickel foam-based GDLs for PEFCs.

The effects of GDL anisotropic transport properties on the PEFC performance (2022)
Journal Article
Okereke, I. C., Ismail, M. S., Ingham, D., Hughes, K. J., Ma, L., & Pourkashanian, M. (2023). The effects of GDL anisotropic transport properties on the PEFC performance. International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat and Fluid Flow, 33(2), 648-672. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-05-2022-0284

Purpose: This paper aims to numerically investigate the impact of gas diffusion layer (GDL) anisotropic transport properties on the overall and local performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Design/methodology/approach: A three-dimensio... Read More about The effects of GDL anisotropic transport properties on the PEFC performance.

Dynamic models for air-breathing and conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells: A comparative study (2022)
Journal Article
Calili-Cankir, F., Ismail, M. S., Berber, M. R., Alrowaili, Z. A., Ingham, D. B., Hughes, K. J., …Pourkashanian, M. (2022). Dynamic models for air-breathing and conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells: A comparative study. Renewable energy, 195, 1001-1014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2022.06.092

Two dynamic models have been built for air-breathing and conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) in order to comparatively investigate the impacts of some key parameters on the transient response to load alterations and the steady-state p... Read More about Dynamic models for air-breathing and conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells: A comparative study.

Alternative architectures and materials for PEMFC gas diffusion layers: A review and outlook (2022)
Journal Article
Lee, F. C., Ismail, M. S., Ingham, D. B., Hughes, K. J., Ma, L., Lyth, S. M., & Pourkashanian, M. (2022). Alternative architectures and materials for PEMFC gas diffusion layers: A review and outlook. Renewable & sustainable energy reviews, 166, Article 112640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112640

This paper reviews some of these new innovations in both the macroporous substrate and the microporous layer (MPL). A diverse range of macroporous substrates and designs is shown, encompassing various carbon-based and metal-based materials and innova... Read More about Alternative architectures and materials for PEMFC gas diffusion layers: A review and outlook.

Intermediate Temperature PEFC’s with Nafion® 211 Membrane Electrolytes: An Experimental and Numerical Study (2022)
Journal Article
Fernihough, O., Ismail, M. S., & El‐kharouf, A. (2022). Intermediate Temperature PEFC’s with Nafion® 211 Membrane Electrolytes: An Experimental and Numerical Study. Membranes, 12(4), Article 430. https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12040430

This paper evaluates the performance of Nafion 211 at elevated temperatures up to 120 °C using an experimentally validated model. Increasing the fuel cell operating temperature could have many key benefits at the cell and system levels. However, curr... Read More about Intermediate Temperature PEFC’s with Nafion® 211 Membrane Electrolytes: An Experimental and Numerical Study.

Air-breathing versus conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells: A parametric numerical study (2022)
Journal Article
Calili-Cankir, F., Ismail, M. S., Ingham, D. B., Hughes, K. J., Ma, L., & Pourkashanian, M. (2022). Air-breathing versus conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells: A parametric numerical study. Energy, 250, Article 123827. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2022.123827

Two mathematical models have been built for air-breathing and conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells to explore the reasons affecting the cell performance. A parametric study has been conducted to (i) investigate how each type of fuel cells resp... Read More about Air-breathing versus conventional polymer electrolyte fuel cells: A parametric numerical study.

Modelling mass transport within the membrane of direct contact membrane distillation modules used for desalination and wastewater treatment: Scrutinising assumptions (2021)
Journal Article
Ismail, M. S., Mohamed, A. M., Poggio, D., Walker, M., & Pourkashanian, M. (2022). Modelling mass transport within the membrane of direct contact membrane distillation modules used for desalination and wastewater treatment: Scrutinising assumptions. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 45, Article 102460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2021.102460

A two-dimensional numerical model for a direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) module, mostly used for desalination and wastewater treatment, has been created. This model has been used to explore the sensitivity of the simulated transmembrane fl... Read More about Modelling mass transport within the membrane of direct contact membrane distillation modules used for desalination and wastewater treatment: Scrutinising assumptions.

Fully-developed laminar flow in trapezoidal ducts with rounded corners: a numerical solution and case study (2021)
Journal Article
Ismail, M. S., Berber, M. R., Alrowaili, Z. A., & Pourkashanian, M. (2022). Fully-developed laminar flow in trapezoidal ducts with rounded corners: a numerical solution and case study. International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat and Fluid Flow, 32(8), 2682-2699. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-09-2021-0620

Purpose: This paper aims to numerically solve fully developed laminar flow in trapezoidal ducts with rounded corners which result following forming processes. Design/methodology/approach: A two-dimensional model for a trapezoidal duct with rounded co... Read More about Fully-developed laminar flow in trapezoidal ducts with rounded corners: a numerical solution and case study.

Effect of composition and structure of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the through-plane gas permeability of PEFC porous media (2021)
Journal Article
Neehall, N. D., Ismail, M. S., Hughes, K. J., & Pourkashanian, M. (2021). Effect of composition and structure of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the through-plane gas permeability of PEFC porous media. International journal of energy research, 45(15), 20988-21005. https://doi.org/10.1002/er.7158

The through-plane permeability of the gas diffusion media (GDM) is investigated experimentally with regard to the microporous layer (MPL) composition and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) composition and structure. The MPL composition is held constant at... Read More about Effect of composition and structure of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the through-plane gas permeability of PEFC porous media.

Effects of compression on mechanical integrity, gas permeability and thermal stability of gas diffusion layers with/without sealing gaskets (2021)
Journal Article
Aldakheel, F., Ismail, M. S., Hughes, K. J., Ingham, D. B., Ma, L., & Pourkashanian, M. (2021). Effects of compression on mechanical integrity, gas permeability and thermal stability of gas diffusion layers with/without sealing gaskets. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46(44), 22907-22919. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.04.087

The compressibility, the gas permeability and the thermal stability of 4 commercially available uncoated GDLs (or carbon substrates) and MPL-coated GDLs are, with/without Teflon and silicone sealing gaskets, investigated before and after performing e... Read More about Effects of compression on mechanical integrity, gas permeability and thermal stability of gas diffusion layers with/without sealing gaskets.

A dynamic model of air-breathing polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC): A parametric study (2021)
Journal Article
Calili, F., Ismail, M. S., Ingham, D. B., Hughes, K. J., Ma, L., & Pourkashanian, M. (2021). A dynamic model of air-breathing polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC): A parametric study. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46(33), 17343-17357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.02.133

A dynamic model for an air-breathing PEFC has been built to investigate the transient response of the fuel cell to load changes. The sensitivities of the dynamic response, as well as the steady state performance, to: the ambient temperature and relat... Read More about A dynamic model of air-breathing polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC): A parametric study.

Direct contact membrane distillation: A sensitivity analysis and an outlook on membrane effective thermal conductivity (2021)
Journal Article
Ismail, M. S., Mohamed, A. M., Poggio, D., & Pourkashanian, M. (2021). Direct contact membrane distillation: A sensitivity analysis and an outlook on membrane effective thermal conductivity. Journal of membrane science, 624, Article 119035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2020.119035

A rigorous and high-fidelity two-dimensional numerical model for a direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) module has been developed. The developed model incorporates all the key physics governing the transport phenomena taking place within the m... Read More about Direct contact membrane distillation: A sensitivity analysis and an outlook on membrane effective thermal conductivity.

Tuning the Electrical and Solar Thermal Heating Efficiencies of Nanocarbon Aerogels (2020)
Journal Article
Xia, D., Xu, Y., Mannering, J., Ma, X., Ismail, M. S., Borman, D., …Menzel, R. (2021). Tuning the Electrical and Solar Thermal Heating Efficiencies of Nanocarbon Aerogels. Chemistry of materials : a publication of the American Chemical Society, 33(1), 392-402. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.0c04166

Nanocarbon aerogels display outstanding electrical and solar thermal heating efficiencies. However, little is known about the relationship between their microstructure and the heating performance. In this study, two different types of carbon nanotube... Read More about Tuning the Electrical and Solar Thermal Heating Efficiencies of Nanocarbon Aerogels.

Effects of geometrical dimensions of flow channels of a large-active-area PEM fuel cell: A CFD study (2020)
Journal Article
Carcadea, E., Ismail, M. S., Ingham, D. B., Patularu, L., Schitea, D., Marinoiu, A., …Varlam, M. (2021). Effects of geometrical dimensions of flow channels of a large-active-area PEM fuel cell: A CFD study. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46(25), 13572-13582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.08.150

Various flow field designs have been numerically investigated to evaluate the effect of pattern and the cross-sectional dimensions of the channel on the performance of a large active area PEM fuel cell. Three types of multiple-serpentine channels (7-... Read More about Effects of geometrical dimensions of flow channels of a large-active-area PEM fuel cell: A CFD study.

Gram-scale synthesis of alkoxide-derived nitrogen-doped carbon foam as a support for Fe-N-C electrocatalysts (2020)
Journal Article
Mufundirwa, A., Harrington, G. F., Ismail, M. S., Šmid, B., Cunning, B. V., Shundo, Y., …Lyth, S. M. (2020). Gram-scale synthesis of alkoxide-derived nitrogen-doped carbon foam as a support for Fe-N-C electrocatalysts. Nanotechnology, 31(22), Article 225401. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/ab76ed

Non-platinum group metal (non-PGM) catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are set to reduce the cost of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEFCs) by replacing platinum at the cathode. We previously developed unique nitrogen-doped car... Read More about Gram-scale synthesis of alkoxide-derived nitrogen-doped carbon foam as a support for Fe-N-C electrocatalysts.

Gas permeability, wettability and morphology of gas diffusion layers before and after performing a realistic ex-situ compression test (2019)
Journal Article
Aldakheel, F., Ismail, M. S., Hughes, K. J., Ingham, D. B., Ma, L., Pourkashanian, M., …Smith, R. (2020). Gas permeability, wettability and morphology of gas diffusion layers before and after performing a realistic ex-situ compression test. Renewable energy, 151, 1082-1091. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2019.11.109

The through-plane gas permeability, wettability, thickness and morphology have been investigated before and after a compression test, which is important to the GDL design. The compression tests were designed to simulate the initial assembling compres... Read More about Gas permeability, wettability and morphology of gas diffusion layers before and after performing a realistic ex-situ compression test.

Comparative study of conventional and unconventional designs of cathode flow fields in PEM fuel cell (2019)
Journal Article
Azarafza, A., Ismail, M. S., Rezakazemi, M., & Pourkashanian, M. (2019). Comparative study of conventional and unconventional designs of cathode flow fields in PEM fuel cell. Renewable & sustainable energy reviews, 116, Article 109420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2019.109420

The choice of an appropriate flow field distributor is crucial to circumvent mass and charge transfer resistance-related issues in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In this work, incorporating all the anisotropic nature of the gas diffusi... Read More about Comparative study of conventional and unconventional designs of cathode flow fields in PEM fuel cell.

PEM fuel cell performance improvement through numerical optimization of the parameters of the porous layers (2019)
Journal Article
Carcadea, E., Varlam, M., Ismail, M., Ingham, D. B., Marinoiu, A., Raceanu, M., …Ion-Ebrasu, D. (2020). PEM fuel cell performance improvement through numerical optimization of the parameters of the porous layers. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 45(14), 7968-7980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.08.219

A numerical model for a PEM fuel cell has been developed and used to investigate the effect of some of the key parameters of the porous layers of the fuel cell (GDL and MPL) on its performance. The model is comprehensive as it is three-dimensional, m... Read More about PEM fuel cell performance improvement through numerical optimization of the parameters of the porous layers.

Effects of hydrogen relative humidity on the performance of an air-breathing PEM fuel cell: A numerical study (2019)
Journal Article
Chen, Z., Ingham, D., Ismail, M., Ma, L., Hughes, K. J., & Pourkashanian, M. (2020). Effects of hydrogen relative humidity on the performance of an air-breathing PEM fuel cell: A numerical study. International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat and Fluid Flow, 30(4), 2077-2097. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-11-2018-0674

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of hydrogen humidity on the performance of air-breathing proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Design/methodology/approach: An efficient mathematical model for air-breathing PEM fu... Read More about Effects of hydrogen relative humidity on the performance of an air-breathing PEM fuel cell: A numerical study.