Development of proton exchange membrane fuel cell flow plate geometry design

Abstract

The advancement of bipolar plate technology can potentially make hydrogen fuel cells more viable as a part of renewable energy system. Two new bipolar plate designs were developed and compared with a reference channel in this study. Compared to the reference channel, the rectangular and hexagonal baffle designs performed significantly better. The rectangular design demonstrated better reactant distribution and fewer dead zones than the hexagonal design, resulting in higher current and power densities. The rectangular baffle design's operating conditions were improved by increasing pressure, temperature, humidity, and adding cooling channels to the anode and cathode. Power and current output were significantly increased as a result of this optimization.