Influence of Structural Parameters of Tesla Valve Flow Field on Performance of Fuel Cells

Hui Guo, Shaopeng Tian, Long Wang (), Congda Xiao, Yuxin Pan, Wenlong Xie and Shujin Yang
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Hui Guo: National Energy Key Laboratory for New Hydrogen-Ammonia Energy Technologies, Foshan Xianhu Laboratory, Foshan 528200, China
Shaopeng Tian: National Energy Key Laboratory for New Hydrogen-Ammonia Energy Technologies, Foshan Xianhu Laboratory, Foshan 528200, China
Long Wang: National Energy Key Laboratory for New Hydrogen-Ammonia Energy Technologies, Foshan Xianhu Laboratory, Foshan 528200, China
Congda Xiao: National Energy Key Laboratory for New Hydrogen-Ammonia Energy Technologies, Foshan Xianhu Laboratory, Foshan 528200, China
Yuxin Pan: National Energy Key Laboratory for New Hydrogen-Ammonia Energy Technologies, Foshan Xianhu Laboratory, Foshan 528200, China
Wenlong Xie: National Energy Key Laboratory for New Hydrogen-Ammonia Energy Technologies, Foshan Xianhu Laboratory, Foshan 528200, China
Shujin Yang: National Energy Key Laboratory for New Hydrogen-Ammonia Energy Technologies, Foshan Xianhu Laboratory, Foshan 528200, China

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-20

Abstract: The optimization of flow channel structures significantly impacts the performance enhancement of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In this paper, the influences of the loop radius, inclination angle, and presence of the island in the Tesla valve flow field on the performance of a fuel cell were investigated numerically. The results indicated that increasing the inclination angle and curvature radius of the Tesla valve increased the voltage by 16.3% and 31.1%, respectively, compared to the parallel flow field at 0.8 A/cm 2 . Elevating the inclination angle amplified the resistance effect exerted by tributaries on the main stream, consequently fostering channel-to-membrane mass transfer. Increasing the curvature radius contributed to a heightened total oxygen concentration, but also led to water accumulation problems. The removal of islands increased the reactant contact area, but also created more dead zones, resulting in an observed improvement compared to the parallel flow field, but only marginal improvements over the basic Tesla flow field.

Keywords: PEMFC; Tesla valve; structural parameters; CFD; water–gas transport (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: 2024
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