Alteration of distribution inlet/outlet for performance enhancement of PEMFC

Abstract Hydrogen-powered devices have received significant attention over the years to curb energy security and climate change. A Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a promising hydrogen-powered device. The design of flow fields plays a critical role in determining the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), particularly through its effect on reactant distribution and electrochemical reaction. This study investigates the effect of baffles in the inlet/outlet distribution area using a conventional parallel (CP) flow field. The study was carried out using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method with three-dimensional model. The analysis was carried out on velocity contours, flow distribution across channels, and current density generation to evaluate the impact of the addition on baffles. The addition of baffles has improved the flow distribution, where baffles have redirected the reactant flow toward the channel inlets, increasing flow uniformity among channels. This behaviour is related to the Coanda effect, where the reactant is guided along the baffle shape. Current density generation has shown a significant increment where the CP flow field with baffles has a maximum current density of 1.64 A/cm², representing a 40% increase compared to CP flow field without baffles. The enhancement was concentrated in the upper half of the flow field, where the baffles effectively increased reactant residence time, allowing increase of reactant diffusion for electrochemical reactions. Thus, the findings presented that adeptly placed baffles in CP flow fields enhance flow uniformity and significantly improve PEMFC performance.