Numerical simulation and visualization study of a new tapered-slope serpentine flow field in proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Haozhong Huang, Mingxin Liu, Xuan Li, Xiaoyu Guo, Tongying Wang, Songwei Li and Han Lei

Energy, 2022, vol. 246, issue C

Abstract: The performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is affected by the flow field structure. Improving the flow field is a low-cost method for improving the power of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. This study proposed a new tapered-slope serpentine flow field and studied its performance through visualization experiments and numerical simulations. The results show that compared with conventional serpentine flow field, the tapered-slope serpentine flow field had a uniform distribution of hydrogen and oxygen concentration in the downstream, the pressure drop was reduced by 58.4%, and the maximum power density was increased by 3.75%. The visualization experiments results show that the guiding structure and slope design of U-shaped corner of the tapered-slope serpentine flow field maintained the shape of droplets, limited the splash of droplets when passing a U-shaped corner, and avoided the breakage caused by droplets colliding with the channel wall, the drainage process time is 62.3% less than conventional serpentine flow field. The experimental results of different reaction inlet flow rates found that tapered-slope serpentine flow field has good drainage performance and improves mass transfer. Increasing the flow rates can make the performance of conventional serpentine flow field close to the tapered-slope serpentine flow field.

Keywords: Proton exchange membrane fuel cell; Tapered-slope serpentine flow field; Numerical simulation; Visualization experiment; Water management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:246:y:2022:i:c:s0360544222003097

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2022.123406

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