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Numerical investigation of flow field configuration and contact resistance for PEM fuel cell performance

Mohammad Hadi Akbari and Behzad Rismanchi

Renewable Energy, 2008, vol. 33, issue 8, 1775-1783

Abstract: A steady-state three-dimensional non-isothermal computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is presented. Conservation of mass, momentum, species, energy, and charge, as well as electrochemical kinetics are considered. In this model, the effect of interfacial contact resistance is also included. The numerical solution is based on a finite-volume method. In this study the effects of flow channel dimensions on the cell performance are investigated. Simulation results indicate that increasing the channel width will improve the limiting current density. However, it is observed that an optimum shoulder size of the flow channels exists for which the cell performance is the highest. Polarization curves are obtained for different operating conditions which, in general, compare favorably with the corresponding experimental data. Such a CFD model can be used as a tool in the development and optimization of PEM fuel cells.

Keywords: PEM fuel cell; CFD modeling; Contact resistance; Flow channel dimensions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:33:y:2008:i:8:p:1775-1783

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2007.10.009

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