Abstract
In this paper, an open-source toolbox that can be used to accurately predict the distribution of the major physical quantities that are transported within a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is presented. The toolbox has been developed using the Open Source Field Operation and Manipulation (OpenFOAM) platform, which is an open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. The base case results for the distribution of velocity, pressure, chemical species, Nernst potential, current density, and temperature are as expected. The plotted polarization curve was compared to the results from a numerical model and experimental data taken from the literature. The conducted simulations have generated a significant amount of data and information about the transport processes that are involved in the operation of a PEM fuel cell. The key role played by the concentration constant in shaping the cell polarization curve has been explored. The development of the present toolbox is in line with the objectives outlined in the International Energy Agency (IEA, Paris, France) Advanced Fuel Cell Annex 37 that is devoted to developing open-source computational tools to facilitate fuel cell technologies. The work therefore serves as a basis for devising additional features that are not always feasible with a commercial code.
Highlights
A proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is an electrochemical device used to convert the chemical energy of hydrogen into electrical energy, releasing heat in the process while producing water as the only by-product of the electrochemical reactions
The results are post-processed and visualized using ParaView, which is an open source visualization software used for postprocessing in OpenFOAM through the paraFoam utility, supplied with OpenFOAM
The velocity profiles along the gas flow channels for the fuel and air are displayed in Figure 6a,b, respectively
Summary
A proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is an electrochemical device used to convert the chemical energy of hydrogen into electrical energy, releasing heat in the process while producing water as the only by-product of the electrochemical reactions. It is a clean energy technology that has become an attractive option for replacing some of the carbon-based fuel energy systems since fossil fuel resources are increasingly scarce and they produce a significant amount of pollutants [1]. PEM fuel cells have many other advantages apart from being environmentally friendly energy conversion devices They can directly convert the chemical energy of hydrogen into useful work without undergoing any thermodynamic cycle, resulting in higher efficiencies in direct electrical energy conversion. Computation 2018, 6, 38 making them a suitable choice for automotive power systems, as well as power generation devices for portable electronics and stationary units [1].
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