Measurement Technique of Distribution of Power Generation Current Using Static Magnetic Field around Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell by 3D Inverse Problem FEM

Abstract

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) is a practical clean energy converter. In order to improve power generation state in PEFC is needed. The power generation performance of PEFC depends on mass transfer in it. Thus, it is important to clarify the current distribution that has close relation to the mass transfer. Especially, the measurement of the power generation current in MEA (membrane electrode assembly) inside the PEFC is needed. The power generation current generates the static magnetic field around the PEFC. Therefore, the distribution of power generation current inside MEA can be determined using the static magnetic field around the fuel cell. In this paper, non-contacting technique for distribution of power generation current inside the MEA using the distribution of the static magnetic field around the PEFC is examined. The proposed heuristic search method using 3D FEM (finite element method) is used for searching the current distribution inside the MEA. In the proposed heuristic search magnetic field analyzing method, the “ON” (current flow) or “OFF” (no current) of the generation current region only in MEA which consisted of 25 elements in the design variable. The distribution of power generation current in MEA is calculated from the proposed heuristic search analyzing method using the measured values of static magnetic field around the PEFC. By measuring the very small quantity space magnetic field distributed around the PEFC the distribution of power generation current in MEA with the fuel cell can be calculated using the proposed heuristic search method. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.I-M2011842]