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Zhong-Sheng Liu
Phone: 604-221-3068
Fax: 604-221-3001
Email: Zhong-Sheng.Liu@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Modeling & Simulation
The NRC-IFCI modelling and numerical simulation group consists of eleven NRC researchers plus three secondment professors from Simon Fraser University, the University of Waterloo and the University of Victoria. This renowned group of researchers has established distinguished, world-class expertise in modelling-based design, enabling the optimization of PEM fuel cells, their components, and materials key to the generation of key knowledge, technology and its transfer to industry. In response to the emerging needs of clean and/or renewable energy, this group is now extending its core-expertise to cover the other clean and/or renewable energy areas.
NRC-IFCI modelling and numerical simulation capabilities span from the electronic level, to a nano and micro level, up to macro or system level modelling.
- At the micro level our expertise includes high throughout screening of materials through first-principle computer simulations, as well as computer-based rational design of advanced electrocatalyst materials for PEM fuel cells.
- At the nano- to meso-scale our activity covers solid and fluid mechanics, physical modelling of electro-chemical phenomena including mass and energy transfer, and microstructure formation and microstructure changes.
- At the individual cell and stack level, techniques such as the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) are employed to model and analyze the continuous flow of fuels and oxidants throughout the system to optimize their design and improve their performance.
- At the full device level, techniques such as mass and energy balance are used to optimize the design of a fully operational device.
- At the fully integrated systems level, our competencies include process modelling and mathematics to perform "what-if" analysis of integrated energy systems such as hydrogen fuelling stations and hydrogen assisted renewable power systems.
In our modelling program, full relations between structure, properties and performance can be established, which in turn allows for the prediction of architectures of materials and operating conditions that optimize fuel cell operation.
For more information, please refer to our Modelling and Numerical Simulation Fact Sheet (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
