Study on Two-Phase Flow and Temperature Characteristics of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Abstract

Abstract-Visualization study of two-phase flow in serpentine anode flow field of a liquid-feed direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was performed, and also the internal temperature characteristics of the flow in the DMFC have been studied in order to investigate the effect of important operating parameters. The results show that the two-phase flow behavior in the serpentine anode flow field with different flow rate of methanol solution is similar to each other. It was a similar periodical repetition of a process of bubble formation, detachment and coalescence to gas slug in the serpentine flow field. The flow rate of methanol solution can influence the mass transport of methanol and the internal temperature in the flow channel. On one hand, an increase in flow rate will lead to an increase in the gas bubble removal rate, which can increase the fuel cell performance. On the other hand, the increased flow rate of methanol solution will also take more heat of reaction away and reduce the temperature in the flow channel, which will degrade the fuel cell performance.