Numerical simulation of laminar flow development with heat and mass transfer in PEM fuel cell flow channels having oxygen and hydrogen suction at one channel wall

Abstract

SUMMARYNumerical simulation has been carried out of the fluid flow, heat and mass transfer for the developing laminar flow in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell cathode and anode flow channels, respectively. Each flow channel is considered to be composed of two parallel walls, one porous (simulating electrode surface) and one non-porous, or impermeable, wall (simulating bipolar plate surface). Various flow situations have been analyzed, and the local and the averaged friction coefficient, Nusselt number for heat transfer and Sherwood number for mass transfer are determined for various flow conditions corresponding to different stoichiometries, operating current densities and operating pressures of the cell. The effect of suction or injection (blowing) wall boundary condition has also been investigated, corresponding to the oxygen consumption in the cathode and hydrogen consumption in the anode. Correlations for the averaged friction coefficient, Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are developed, which can be useful for PEM fuel cell modeling and design calculations.

Interfacial oxygen transport resistance in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell air channel with an array of water droplets

“…Koz and Kandlikar numerically calculated Sh FD to be 3.36 for a channel cross section of 0.40 mm × 0.70 mm. This Sh FD is significantly lower than the ones previously recommended: Sh FD =5.274 [42] (value readjusted for the characteristic length of hydraulic diameter), 6.0 [43], and 5.411 [44]. Moreover, it was shown that local Sh can be larger than Sh FD downstream of the droplet [41].…”

Formability and flow channel design for thin metallic bipolar plates in PEM fuel cells: Modeling

“…Analytical models were also developed to eliminate flow maldistribution for flow channels with and without considering reactant consumption. [9][10][11][12] More achievements of the flow field and channel geometries can be found in recent reviews. [13][14][15] However, most current design guidelines on flow channels are proposed based on the reactant flow behavior, but not involved in BPP manufacturability.…”

“…Roshandel et al optimized flow‐field design and channel configurations to achieve more uniform velocity distribution and more homogeneous molar spreading of species along the flow channels. Analytical models were also developed to eliminate flow maldistribution for flow channels with and without considering reactant consumption . More achievements of the flow field and channel geometries can be found in recent reviews .…”

A review of recent development: Transport and performance modeling of PEM fuel cells

“…Hassanzadeh et al [66] established a two-dimensional nonisothermal numerical model to solve governing equations of mass, momentum, energy, and species conservation for the developing laminar flow in cathode and anode flow channels of a PEM fuel cell. Each of the flow channels was regarded as two parallel planes with one porous plane (simulating electrode surface) and the other impermeable plane (simulating bipolar plate surface).…”