Numerical Simulation of Water Transport in a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Flow Channel

Jun Shen, Zhichun Liu, Fan Liu and Wei Liu
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Jun Shen: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Zhichun Liu: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Fan Liu: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Wei Liu: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-23

Abstract: Water management of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is crucial to maintain high performance and stable operation. The flow channel is an indispensable part of PEMFCs, which allows the reactant gases to flow into the system, and the liquid water to be removed from the fuel cells. A transient 3D model based on volume of fluid methodology is used to study the dynamic characteristics of gas-liquid two-phase flow in a PEMFC flow channel. The structure of the flow channel, the wettability of channel surfaces, the air inlet velocity, the dimensions of the water droplets, and the effect of phase transition are considered to obtain the optimal solution. The results show that the water droplet transport process is seriously affected by the wettability of the channel surfaces. A modified surface design with varied static surface contact angle could perform the detachment without external force with an appropriate initial velocity. Besides, phase transitions could seriously influence the form and the distribution of water existing in the channel.

Keywords: two-phase; volume of fluid (VOF); water transport; fuel cell; phase transition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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