Numerical investigation of the influence of different cooling flow channels on the thermal and water saturation distribution in a real dimensional polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

Abstract

A fuel cell is one of the expert-presented solutions which has been developed due to the use of clean energies and direct conversion of chemical energy into electricity. Thermal and water management of the fuel cells are among the major issues which can significantly improve the performance of the fuel cell. In this study, a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with cooling channels was simulated in real dimensions considering most of the reactions and equations in all the sections of the fuel cell at a constant electrical current density at the cathode terminal surface. Six different cooling fields were assessed and the results were presented in the form of average temperature, maximum temperature, the mass ratio of various species, current density, index of uniformity temperature, heat transfer, and electrical voltage at the different surfaces. The accuracy of the simulation was assessed by comparing the modeled values with the experimental results and average temperature and maximum temperature were presented for various current densities. Based on the results, the four-section serpentine geometry was the best cooling channel geometry in terms of temperature; while serpentine-in-the-beginning was the best cooling channel geometry in terms of output power, absorbed heat, and water accumulation. The lowest electrical voltage at the cathode terminal was for parallel geometry (0.64 V) while its highest level (0.68 V) was in three geometries of serpentine-in-the-beginning, serpentine-at-the-end, and horizontal serpentine, showing a 6.3% improvement in the output voltage of the fuel cell.