Abstract
The transport characteristics of water slugs in a bent gas channel of a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell are numerically studied using the volume of fluid (VOF) method. To investigate the effects of channel cross-sectional shape in a channel flooding situation, the gas channels (GCs) with one rectangular and two trapezoidal cross sections are compared. Parametric studies are also conducted to evaluate the effects of the contact angle of the top and side walls, the contact angle of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) surface, and the air inlet velocity. Considering both of the water volume fraction (WVF) and GDL water coverage ratio (WCR), the trapezoidal channel with open angles of 60 degrees provides the most favorable performance in a channel flooding condition. Among all the top and side wall contact angles considered, the hydrophobic contact angle of 120 degrees shows the best results. Among the three GDL contact angles of 90, 110 and 140 degrees, the hydrophobic GDL contact angle of 140 degrees provides the most favorable water removal characteristics in a channel flooding situation. For all cross-sectional shapes, the water removal rate increases and the liquid water interface shows more complex patterns as the air inlet velocity increases.
Highlights
The polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell has received considerable attention due to its many advantages, including zero/low emissions, high power density, low operating temperature, and a broad range of applications [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
gas channels (GCs) geometry, the results suggested that more hydrophilic channel walls and a more hydrophobic
The two-phase flow inside a GC of a PEM fuel cell is mainly affected by various factors such as channel geometric configuration, surface properties, liquid water generation rate, gravity, etc
Summary
The polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell has received considerable attention due to its many advantages, including zero/low emissions, high power density, low operating temperature, and a broad range of applications [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. The PEM fuel cell generates electricity and by-product water through the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. The water content level inside the PEM fuel cell must be controlled properly. In automotive vehicle applications of PEM fuel cells where the demand for high current density is frequent, water flooding is a critical issue. The water removal in the GC is one of the most important issues in PEM fuel cell studies, especially in a GC flooding condition [1,2,3]
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