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CFD Numerical Study of a New Crossed Inverse Z Flow Field for PEMFC

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are used to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. The bipolar plate is an important part of PEMFC. The flow field structure can be found in the bipolar plate, and an appropriate flow field structure has a crucial influence on the performance of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of electrochemical science 2022-07, Vol.17 (7), p.220721, Article 220721
Main Authors: Yan, Fayi, Yao, Jian, Pei, Xuejian
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are used to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. The bipolar plate is an important part of PEMFC. The flow field structure can be found in the bipolar plate, and an appropriate flow field structure has a crucial influence on the performance of fuel cells. In this paper, a new inlet was proposed, which is located in the center of the plate crossing the inverse Z flow field and four main channels connected with an air inlet. Each main channel connects simultaneously multiple branch channels, the mutual not interference between each branch channels, and the reaction gas caused by the flow of the main branch flow channel, which reduces the uneven distribution of reactants in conventional flow fields. Based on CFD simulation analysis, the new flow field has the best output performance when the rib width ratio and inlet/outlet area ratio are both 2/1. Results of this study provide a new idea for improving the performance of PEMFC.
ISSN:1452-3981
1452-3981
DOI:10.20964/2022.07.12