Operating parameters like pressure, temperature, the stoichiometric ratio of reactants, relative humidity and design parameters like rib width to channel width (L:C), the shape of the flow channel and the number of passes on the flow channel are influencing the performance of the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC
IntroductionThe PEMFCs are being developed for commercial applications in the areas of transportation, back-up power and portable power. One of the main advantages is the negligible emission of pollutants, like SOx, NOx, particulates and greenhouse gases [1]. It is Eco-friendly power source which is suitable for powering both portable devices and mobile application due to their high energy density and lower operating temperature range [2]. In this paper the performance enhancement of fuel cell by optimizing the influence of various operating and design parameters using CFD Fluent 14.0 and MATLAB software packages. The PEMFC consists of polymer solid electrolyte membrane placed between an anode and a cathode. The electrochemical reaction produces electric current along with water and heat as byproducts. To attain high current, peak power density, proper temperature distribution and optimum water management the various flow channel design was used. S. Simple [3] addressed in his study that the performance of PEMFC has been influenced by the flow channel path length and the flow field design with 1.2,2 stoichiometric ratios, inlet temperatures were 70°C and 80°C, operating pressure was 1.01bar in the anode and the cathode respectively. Dyi-Huey Chang et al. [4] studied the effect of flow channel depth and flow rates on performance of PEMFC and concluded that the optimum flow rate was essential to maintain sufficient pressure, which force the reactant into channel to get proper water balance. Wei-Mon Yan et al [5] studied the impact of flow channel designs on the performance of PEMFC and concluded that the interdigitated flow field having 1.4 times better power output than the conventional flow field design. Nicholas S. Siefert [1] concluded his study that the serpentine channels are very effective to get rid of the liquid because of its high gas velocity. Atul Kumar et al. [6] Optimized the flow channel dimensions and shape in the flow field of a single pass serpentine flow field design. In his study, he concluded that the different shape of cross section leads to the excess hydrogen consumption in the anode, thus it can influence the performance of the PEMFC. However, water accumulation leads the fuel cell performance unpredictable and unreliable under the nominally identical operating conditions. So the essential issue for