Numerical study on the influence of waveform channel and related design parameters on the cold start of proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Abstract

In order to enable the proton exchange membrane fuel cell to be used under outdoor conditions, research on the cold start of the fuel cell is essential. In this paper, numerical simulation is used to study the influence of fuel cell cathode channel geometry and porosity on the fuel cell cold start process. By analyzing the internal parameters of the fuel cell at different times, including current density, ice volume fraction, temperature and water content, the optimal fuel cell design was obtained. From a comprehensive comparison, although the current density and temperature rise of the ordinary wave channel fuel cell with higher porosity increase slowly at the beginning of the cold start, the decline process and icing process of it are also relatively slow. Therefore, a fuel cell with an ordinary wave channel and a higher porosity may perform better at cold start. This research contributes to the application and commercialization of fuel cells in a wider range of practical conditions.