Heat transport characteristics by heat generation of electrochemical reactions in proton exchange membrane fuel cell

고분자전해질 연료전지에서 전기화학반응 열생성에 의한 열전달특성

In proton exchange membrane fuel cell, the heat is generated at the catalyst layer as result of exothermic electrochemical reaction. This heat increases temperature of gas diffusion layer and membrane whose conductivity is very sensitive to humidity, function of temperature. So it is very important to analysis heat transfer through fuel cell to maintain temperature at specified range. In this paper numerical simulation was done including reversible, irreversible, ionic resistance, water formation loss to source term of energy equation. Results show that irreversible and water formation loss contributes mainly to energy source term and as current density increases, all of energy source terms become increased and Nusselt number is increased as results of more heat generation. Particularly irreversible loss is found to be predominant among the all energy source and water formation at cathode channel influences the temperature distribution of fuel cell greatly.