Numerical analysis of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Part 1: Model development

Abstract

A full three-dimensional, non-isothermal computational fluid dynamics model of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell with straight flow field channels has been developed. This comprehensive model accounts for the major transport phenomena in a PEM fuel cell: convective and diffusive heat and mass transfer, electrode kinetics, and potential fields. The feature of the algorithm developed in this work is its capability for accurate calculation of the local activation overpotentials, which in turn results in improved prediction of the local current density distribution. Fully three-dimensional results of the velocity flow field, species profiles, temperature distribution, potential distribution, and local current density distribution are presented. The model is shown to be able to understand the many interacting, complex electrochemical and transport phenomena that cannot be studied experimentally.