Numerical Investigation of Flow Channel Geometrical Configuration Design Effect on a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance and Mass Transport Phenomenon

摘要

In this paper a comprehensive three-dimensional, single phase, computational fluid dynamics model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) based on finite volume method has been developed. Single set of conservation equations are developed and solved numerically to investigate the gas channel geometrical effect such as the shape of gas channel cross section and its convergence and also shoulder area width on cell performance and transport phenomena. The results indicated that in the same current density, a rectangular channel cross-section gives higher cell voltages compared with trapezoidal channel cross-sections; also in models with rectangular channel cross-section the shoulder width has significant impact on cell voltage. Hence, when the channel width is increased (subsequently shoulders area decrease) the cell voltage decreased at same current density. The channel convergence effect has been discussed in more details too in result section. Finally, the numerical simulation results are compared with experimental data which represent good agreement.