PEM fuel cell geometry optimisation using mathematical modeling

Abstract

There have been extensive efforts devoted to proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell modeling and simulations to study fuel cell performance. Although fuel cells have been successfully demonstrated in both automotive and stationary power applications, there are numerous technical and logistic issues that still have to be solved, such as performance, cost, and system issues. A model based on steady, isothermal, electrochemical, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics using the FLUENT CFD software package has been developed to predict the fluid flow pattern within a PEMFC. Three types of flow field are investigated with serpentine, parallel or spiral channels in order to determine the best configuration for the fuel cell performance. In this context, the paper presents the results that we have obtained and, as a conclusion of the simulations, we have achieved the best configuration regarding the performance for the fuel cell with serpentine channels. We consider the mathematical and computational modeling as an important alternative for fuel cell optimization and for the exploitation/experimentation in cost reduction.