Visualization of Water Accumulation in Cathode Channels of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

摘要

The water build-up and two-phase flow in cathode parallel channels are studied by means of a transparent proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The effects of temperature, cathode flow rate and operation time on water build-up and cell performance are studied, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the liquid water in channels at high temperature is much less than that at low temperature. When the water flooding appeared, increasing cathode flow rate can remove excess water and lead to good cell performance. When too much water of condensation was in channels, cell performance decreased dramatically because liquid columns, which formed in parallel channels, hindered mass transfer. The images of water droplets and flooding in cathode channels were also recorded.