Simulation and experimental analysis on the performance of PEM fuel cell by the wave-like surface design at the cathode channel

Abstract

A polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell shows different levels of performance depending on the designs of the flow fields. The designs of the flow fields vary the diffusion flux, which is the flow in a channel moving through gas diffusion layers to catalyst layers. Therefore, flow fields that can suppress concentration loss in the area of high-current density have been suggested. The bottom of the cathode channel was fabricated in a wave shape to increase the velocity gradient of the flow from the gas diffusion layers. As a result, concentration loss induced by unstable mass transfer was delayed and the fuel cell's performance was improved by 5.76% in the experiment using a 25 cm(2) unit-cell and by approximately 5.17% in the numerical analysis using a 84 cm(2) unit-cell. Copyright (C) 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.