Simulation through CFD of different flow field designs for enhancing proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance

Abstract The performance of Proton exchange membrane fuel cell, a promising energy conversion technology, is closely tied to the design of their flow fields. The Fuel cell architecture plays a critical role in distributing reactant gases, managing water, and dissipating heat within the system. For comprehension effect of FCs design on PEMFC functionality, a detailed computational model is developed to investigate four different channel shapes with the same cross-sectional area in a parallel flow field configuration. The aim of this study, to unravel the relationship between channel geometry and fuel cell behaviour, focusing on gas transport, water dynamics, thermal profiles and current density. The investigation revealed that the channel geometry significantly influences PEMFC performance. The findings highlighted the pivotal role of channel shape in modulating mass transport, thermal characteristics, and water management within the fuel cell. Notably, the square channel geometry outperformed the other designs, exhibiting a 17.20% improvement in efficiency compared to the semi-circular channel also at 0.40 V, the maximum velocities in square, rectangular, semi-circular, and triangular channels are 4.28618 m/s, 4.1856 m/s, 4.17292 m/s, and 4.78493 m/s, respectively. This is attributed to the more optimized flow profile and reduced parasitic losses in the square channel design.