Numerical study on channel size effect for proton exchange membrane fuel cell with serpentine flow field

A segmented cell approach for studying the effects of serpentine flow field parameters on PEMFC current distribution

“…In general, fuel cell performance improves with a narrowing landing width until there is either MEA deflection into the channel or collapse of the GDL due to an excessive applied force. The optimum channel size and landing area results from a balance between the maximum possible open area, an appropriate mechanical MEA support and sufficient conduction paths for the electrical current and heat [12,13,17,18,53]. As for thermal management, it is irrelevant in a small cell because the temperature rise between cell inlet and outlet is too small.…”

“…These reports mainly focused on different types of flow field and comparisons between them. Many researchers have used mathematical models for studying the impact of the flow fields on PEMFC performance [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Several models describing mass transport effects have been developed to predict fuel cell performance and provide information on specific flow field parameters.…”

PEMFC Performance with Metal Bipolar Plates Depending on the Channel Dimension

“…[8] It was expected that overall performance tends to converge as the channel size decreases. In our results, however, the rise in the performance increases as the channel size becomes smaller.…”

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

“…Wang et al [70] employed a three-dimensional, twophase isothermal numerical model to study how the size of serpentine channel affects the performance of a PEM fuel cell with serpentine flow fields. Their results indicated that smaller channel size enhances the cell performance and has more uniform current density distribution since it improves liquid water removal and promotes oxygen transport to the porous layers.…”