Abstract
Open-cathode polymer electrolyte fuel cells with compact design have attracted increasing attention in the field of portable energy equipment. This study explores the impacts of different length-width ratios (RL-W) of the cell with the same active area (50 cm2) on cell performance based on various measurements of polarization curves, air velocity profile, and temperature distribution. Results suggest that RL-W has a significant impact on cell performance. Remarkably, a performance improvement of 7% is achieved with the increase of RL-W (4.14–22.40) due to the enhancement of heat and mass transfer ability. The maximum temperature difference at the cathode outlet surface is less than 2 °C when RL-W is 22.40. It is also indicated that the optimum cathode outlet surface temperature is about 48～52 °C. Under the condition of ensuring the structural strength and performance of the cell simultaneously, the appropriate range of RL-W is confirmed as 10–20. The results provide basic data and technical support for the system design and application of open-cathode fuel cells.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call