Study on Crack Propagation in Proton Exchange Membranes with Doped Microcapsules

Abstract Crack defects produced during the operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have a significant impact on their service life. One common approach to extend working time is embed self-healing microcapsules in repair defects. In this study, we use extended finite element method (XFEM) investigate capture and control cracks by doped numerically simulate crack propagation patterns. The results show that two-layer microcapsule distribution along cross-section can achieve complete cracks. addition, two-material with layered, staggered arrangement exhibit maximum distance between they attract, while minimizing mechanical properties membrane. Based these findings, determine theoretical doping amount per unit volume, which has important implications for future experimental design engineering applications.