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Effect of cathode channel dimensions on the performance of an air-breathing PEM fuel cell
- Source :
- International Journal of Thermal Sciences. 49:844-857
- Publication Year :
- 2010
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2010.
-
Abstract
- A three dimensional, steady state, non-isothermal, single phase model was developed and simulations were carried out in order to find the effect of cathode channel dimensions (width, depth and height) on the performance of an air-breathing fuel cell. The model was solved using commercial CFD package Fluent (version 6.3). Separate user defined functions were written to solve the electrochemical equations and the water transport through the membrane along with the other governing equations. Analyses were carried out for three different channel widths (2, 4 and 6�mm), for three different channel depths (2, 6 and 10�mm) and for three different cell heights (15, 30 and 45�mm). Cell characteristics like current distribution, species distribution, oxygen mass transfer coefficient, cell temperature, cathode channel velocities and net water transport coefficients are reported. The results show that the cell performance improves with increase in cathode channel width, channel depth and with decrease in cell height. Maximum power density obtained was 240�mW/cm2 for a channel width of 4�mm and channel depth of 6�mm. When the channel depth was 2�mm the performance was limited mainly due to the resistance offered by the channel for the buoyancy induced flow. For channel depths higher than 2�mm, the diffusion resistance of the porous GDL also contributed significantly to limit the performance to low current densities. At low current densities the fuel cell is prone to flooding whereas at high current densities ohmic overpotential due to dehydration of the membrane significantly contributes to the overall voltage loss. � 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
- Subjects :
- Buoyancy
Materials science
Cathode channel
Overpotential
Cells
Proton exchange membrane fuel cell
Channel depth
Computational fluid dynamics
engineering.material
Steady state
law.invention
Cell temperature
Diffusion resistance
Effect of cathode
Governing equations
law
Mass transfer
In-cell
Channel widths
Current distribution
Maximum power density
Water transport
Voltage loss
Three dimensional
General Engineering
User Defined Functions
Buoyancy induced flow
Cathode channel dimensions
Single-phase model
Mechanics
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC)
Condensed Matter Physics
Energy–depth relationship in a rectangular channel
Air breathing
Cathode
High current densities
Species distributions
Oxygen
PEM fuel cell
Nonisothermal
Cell height
engineering
Cell performance
Low current density
Current density
Oxygen mass transfer
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 12900729
- Volume :
- 49
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- International Journal of Thermal Sciences
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....845b20b790256a662e4c17df539c250c