Design and optimization of a novel sinusoidal corrugated channel for microfluidic fuel cell with gas-liquid two-phase flow model

Tiancheng Ouyang, Wenjun Liu, Benlong Liu, Xiaoyi Hu and Xiaomin Shi

Renewable Energy, 2023, vol. 208, issue C, 737-750

Abstract: Membraneless microfluidic fuel cell (MMFC) has potential application prospects in micro-devices due to the characteristics of considerable output performance, superior cleanliness and easy miniaturization. Whereas, the performance of MMFC is restricted by the mass transfer of two-phase flow, which manifests as the inefficiency transportation in liquid phase and obstruction of gas phase. This paper proposes a novel sinusoidal corrugated channel (SCC) for MMFC though developing a three-dimensional two-phase model by coupling the multi-physics field to improve the cell performance in mass transfer, and further studies the two-phase flow characteristics of geometric parameters of SCC, including the amplitude A and angular frequency ω. Based on the optimal configuration in A of 0.5 mm and ω of 3 rad s−1, compared with the conventional straight channel, the increase ratios of maximum current density, power density, fuel utilization are 13.69%, 8.39% and 13.72%, respectively. Additionally, the gas volume fraction at the maximum power density decreases by 12.62%. This paper provides new insights and theoretical foundations for the study of MMFC flow field configurations, and furnishes references for the mass transfer intensification.

Keywords: Membraneless microfluidic fuel cell; Mass transfer; Two-phase flow; Sinusoidal corrugated channel; Flow field configurations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:208:y:2023:i:c:p:737-750

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2023.03.095

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