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

Shen, Jun; Liu, Zhichun; Liu, Fan; Liu, Wei

doi:10.3390/en11071770

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…They reported the significance of channel configuration, the coverage ratio of water on the gas diffusion layer (GDL) surface, and the water volume fraction on cell performance. Shen et al [20] employed a transient 3D model based on the VOF methodology to evaluate the dynamic behaviour of gas-liquid two-phase flow in a PEMFC microchannel. They assessed the effect of channel structure, the contact angle of channel walls, inlet velocity, droplet size effect, and the phase transition effect in a straight channel.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical Investigation of Liquid Water Transport Dynamics in Novel Hybrid Sinusoidal Flow Channel Designs for PEMFC

et al. 2019

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This study numerically investigates liquid water dynamics in a novel hybrid sinusoidal flow channel of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The two-phase flow is examined using a three-dimensional, transient computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation employing the coupled level set and volume of fluid (VOF) method. Simulations for hybrid and non-hybrid sinusoidal flow channels, including a straight flow channel, are compared based on their water exhaust capacities and pressure drops. Additionally, the effects of inlet gas velocity, wall wettability, and droplet interaction in the flow channel on the dynamic behaviour of liquid water are investigated. Results reveal that the novel hybrid sinusoidal channel designs are consistent in terms of quicker water removal under varying hydrophilic wall conditions. Also, it is found that the liquid surface coverage, detachment, and removal rate depends on droplet proximity to the walls, inlet gas velocity, and wall contact angle. Also, the time a droplet makes contact with the side walls affect the discharge time. Additionally, there is an improvement in the gas velocity magnitude and vertical component velocity across the hybrid sinusoidal channel designs. Therefore, the unique geometric configuration of the proposed hybrid Design makes it a viable substitute for water management in PEMFC applications.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical Investigation of Liquid Water Transport Dynamics in Novel Hybrid Sinusoidal Flow Channel Designs for PEMFC

et al. 2019

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“…A key aspect of the process is the highly dynamic nature of the contact line and the significant departure of both advancing and receding angles from the static value. This is a particularly challenging aspect of two-phase flow simulations [11,23]; for instance the recent simulations in [15] Energies 2019, 12, 2061 13 of 32 exhibit a maximum hysteresis of~5 • between advancing and receding values compared to up to over 100 • experimentally.…”

Section: Contact Anglesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Excess accumulation of water ("flooding") reduces reactant transport and limits performance [11,12], but can also impact durability and operation under sub-zero temperatures [13,14]. Hydrophobic surfaces that promote water transport are commonly used to alleviate water management problems, and much ongoing research targets novel approaches such as surfaces with varying contact angles [15] and electrode structures that further facilitate water transport [16,17]. Effective deployment of these approaches requires an improved understanding of the underlying liquid water transport flow regimes, which depends on a wide range of parameters including surface tension forces and wettability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of Two-Phase Flow in a Hydrophobic Fuel-Cell Micro-Channel

et al. 2019

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This paper presents a quantitative visualization study and a theoretical analysis of two-phase flow relevant to polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in which liquid water management is critical to performance. Experiments were conducted in an air-flow microchannel with a hydrophobic surface and a side pore through which water was injected to mimic the cathode of a PEMFC. Four distinct flow patterns were identified: liquid bridge (plug), slug/plug, film flow, and water droplet flow under small Weber number conditions. Liquid bridges first evolve with quasi-static properties while remaining pinned; after reaching a critical volume, bridges depart from axisymmetry, block the flow channel, and exhibit lateral oscillations. A model that accounts for capillarity at low Bond number is proposed and shown to successfully predict the morphology, critical liquid volume and evolution of the liquid bridge, including deformation and complete blockage under specific conditions. The generality of the model is also illustrated for flow conditions encountered in the manipulation of polymeric materials and formation of liquid bridges between patterned surfaces. The experiments provide a database for validation of theoretical and computational methods.

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“…During PEMFC operation, the cathode side GDL is prone to flooding as a result of product water accumulation, and if not tackled, the generated product water can lead to performance and degradation issues [12,13]. This is attributable to the electrochemical activity that produces water vapor as its by-product.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Liquid Water Transport Behavior at GDL-Channel Interface of a Wave-Like Channel

et al. 2020

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This paper evaluates the liquid water at the gas diffusion layer-channel (GDL-channel) interface of reconstructed GDL microstructures with uniform and non-uniform fiber diameters in wave-like channels. A non-uniform GDL microstructure is reconstructed for the first time at the GDL-channel interface to evaluate droplet motion. The three-layer GDL microstructures are generated using the stochastic technique and implemented using the OpenFOAM computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software (OpenFOAM-6, OpenFOAM Foundation Ltd., London, UK). The present study considers the relationship between reconstructed GDL surfaces with varying fiber diameters, wettability, superficial inlet velocity and droplet size. Results show that the droplet detachment and the average droplet velocity decrease with an increase in the fiber diameter as well as the structural arrangement of the fibers. Under the non-uniform fiber arrangement, the removal rate of water droplets is not significantly improved. However, the choice of smaller fiber diameters facilitates the transport of droplets, as hydrophobicity increases even at slight surface roughness. The results also indicate that the average droplet velocity decreases under low inlet velocity conditions while increasing under high inlet velocity conditions. Therefore, the structural make-up of the GDL-channel interface influences the droplet dynamics, and the implementation of a non-uniform GDL structure should also be considered in the GDL designs.

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

Cited by 9 publications

References 38 publications

Numerical Investigation of Liquid Water Transport Dynamics in Novel Hybrid Sinusoidal Flow Channel Designs for PEMFC

Numerical Investigation of Liquid Water Transport Dynamics in Novel Hybrid Sinusoidal Flow Channel Designs for PEMFC

Investigation of Two-Phase Flow in a Hydrophobic Fuel-Cell Micro-Channel

Liquid Water Transport Behavior at GDL-Channel Interface of a Wave-Like Channel

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