Investigation of mechanical damage in PFSA membrane via gas permeation rate test of membrane blister

The perfluorinated sulfonic-acid (PFSA) membrane is a key component in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The gas permeability of PFSA membrane, related to its deformation and damage, affects the performance and safety of the fuel cell. On the basis of constitutive model and solution-diffusion model of PFSA membrane, a numerical model was built to predict the deformation and gas permeation rate of membrane blister. The result indicates that damage occurs during the blister and accelerate the gas permeation.