A new flow field design for polymer electrolyte-based fuel cells

Abstract

We present a new flow field design, termed convection-enhanced serpentine flow field (CESFF), for polymer electrolyte-based fuel cells, which was obtained by re-patterning conventional single serpentine flow fields. We show theoretically that the CESFF induces larger pressure differences between adjacent flow channels over the entire electrode surface than does the conventional flow field, thereby enhancing in-plane forced flow through the electrode porous layer. This characteristic increases mass transport rates of reactants and products to and from the catalyst layer and reduces the amount of liquid water that is entrapped in the porous electrode, thereby minimizing electrode flooding over the entire electrode surface. We applied this new flow field to a single direct methanol fuel cell and demonstrated experimentally that the new flow field resulted in substantial improvements in both cell performance and operating stability as opposed to the conventional serpentine flow field design.