Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society (한국수소및신에너지학회논문집)

The Korean Hydrogen and New Energy Society (한국수소및신에너지학회)
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Numerical Study on Comparison of Serpentine and Parallel Flow Channel in High-temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

고온형 고분자전해질형 연료전지에서의 사형 유로와 평행 유로 성능비교에 대한 수치해석적 연구

  • AHN, SUNGHA (School of Mechanical Engineering, Grad. School of Inha University) ;
  • OH, KYEONGMIN (School of Mechanical Engineering, Grad. School of Inha University) ;
  • JU, HYUNCHUL (School of Mechanical Engineering, Grad. School of Inha University)
  • Received : 2017.12.21
  • Accepted : 2018.02.28
  • Published : 2018.02.28
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Abstract

General polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC) operates at less than $80^{\circ}C$. Therefore liquid phase water resulting from electrochemical reaction accumulates and floods the cell which in turn increases the mass transfer loss. To prevent the flooding, it is common to employ serpentine flow channel, which can efficiently export liquid phase water to the outlet. The major drawback of utilizing serpentine flow channel is the large pressure drop that happens between the inlet and outlet. On the other hand, in the high temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell (HT-PEMFC), since the operating temperature is 130 to $180^{\circ}C$, the generated water is in the state of gas, so the flooding phenomenon is not taken into consideration. In HT-PEMFCs parallel flow channel with lower pressure drop between the inlet and outlet is employed therefore, in order to circulate hydrogen and air in the cell less pumping power is required. In this study we analyzed HT-PEMFC's different flow channels by parallel computation using previously developed 3-D isothermal model. All the flow channels had an active area of $25cm^2$. Also, we numerically compared the performance of HT-PEMFC parallel flow channel with different manifold area and Rib interval against the original serpentine flow channel. Results of the analysis are shown in the form of three-dimensional contour polarization curves, flow characteristics in the channel, current density distribution in the Membrane, overpotential distribution in the catalyst layer, and hydrogen and oxygen concentration distribution. As a result, the performance of a real area fuel cell was predicted.

Keywords

References

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