A three-dimensional computational model of PEM fuel cell with serpentine gas channels
Date
2003
Authors
Nguyen, Phong Thanh
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Abstract
A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model of a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell with serpentine gas flow channels is presented in this thesis. This comprehensive model accounts for important transport phenomena in a fuel cell such as heat transfer, mass transfer, electrode kinetics, and potential fields. Results obtained from this model reveal the detailed transport phenonmena occurring inside the fuel cell such as reactant gas distributions, temperature distribution, potential distribution, and local current density distribution. The unique feature of this model is the implementation of the voltage-to-current algorithm that solves for the potential fields which allows for the calculation of the local activation overpotentials. Hence, the accurate prediction of the local current density distribution is made possible through the coupling of activation overpotential distribution and reactant concentration distribution. The simulation results also reveal very different current distribution patterns for low and high load conditions, with current density maxima under the land area at low loading, and under the channel at higher loading. The validated model was also applied to investigate the sensitivity of several operating and electrode material properties on fuel cell
performance.