Liquid Water Transport in Porous Metal Foam Flow-Field Fuel Cells: A Two-Phase Numerical Modelling and Ex-Situ Experimental Study
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) using porous metallic foam flow-field plates have been demonstrated as an alternative to conventional rib and channel designs, showing high performance at high currents. However, the transport of liquid product water through metal foam flow-field plates i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2019-03-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/7/1186 |
| _version_ | 1828282832508682240 |
|---|---|
| author | Ashley Fly Kyoungyoun Kim John Gordon Daniel Butcher Rui Chen |
| author_facet | Ashley Fly Kyoungyoun Kim John Gordon Daniel Butcher Rui Chen |
| author_sort | Ashley Fly |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) using porous metallic foam flow-field plates have been demonstrated as an alternative to conventional rib and channel designs, showing high performance at high currents. However, the transport of liquid product water through metal foam flow-field plates in PEMFC conditions is not well understood, especially at the individual pore level. In this work, ex-situ experiments are conducted to visualise liquid water movement within a metal foam flow-field plate, considering hydrophobicity, foam pore size and air flow rate. A two-phase numerical model is then developed to further investigate the fundamental water transport behaviour in porous metal foam flow-field plates. Both the experimental and numerical work demonstrate that unlike conventional PEMFC channels, air flow rate does not have a strong influence on water removal due to the high surface tensions between the water and foam pore ligaments. A hydrophobic foam was seen to transport liquid water away from the initial injection point faster than a hydrophilic foam. In ex-situ tests, liquid water forms and maintains a random preferential pathway until the flow-field edge is reached. These results suggest that controlled foam hydrophobicity and pore size is the best way of managing water distribution in PEMFCs with porous flow-field plates. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:36:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-53946b777ece43e1bb763c3508efc2b2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:36:36Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-53946b777ece43e1bb763c3508efc2b22022-12-22T02:54:04ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732019-03-01127118610.3390/en12071186en12071186Liquid Water Transport in Porous Metal Foam Flow-Field Fuel Cells: A Two-Phase Numerical Modelling and Ex-Situ Experimental StudyAshley Fly0Kyoungyoun Kim1John Gordon2Daniel Butcher3Rui Chen4Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UKDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Hanbat National University, Daejeon 34158, South KoreaDepartment of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UKDepartment of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UKDepartment of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UKProton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) using porous metallic foam flow-field plates have been demonstrated as an alternative to conventional rib and channel designs, showing high performance at high currents. However, the transport of liquid product water through metal foam flow-field plates in PEMFC conditions is not well understood, especially at the individual pore level. In this work, ex-situ experiments are conducted to visualise liquid water movement within a metal foam flow-field plate, considering hydrophobicity, foam pore size and air flow rate. A two-phase numerical model is then developed to further investigate the fundamental water transport behaviour in porous metal foam flow-field plates. Both the experimental and numerical work demonstrate that unlike conventional PEMFC channels, air flow rate does not have a strong influence on water removal due to the high surface tensions between the water and foam pore ligaments. A hydrophobic foam was seen to transport liquid water away from the initial injection point faster than a hydrophilic foam. In ex-situ tests, liquid water forms and maintains a random preferential pathway until the flow-field edge is reached. These results suggest that controlled foam hydrophobicity and pore size is the best way of managing water distribution in PEMFCs with porous flow-field plates.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/7/1186PEMFCmetal foamchannelflow-fieldwater transportmass transporttwo-phasenumerical model |
| spellingShingle | Ashley Fly Kyoungyoun Kim John Gordon Daniel Butcher Rui Chen Liquid Water Transport in Porous Metal Foam Flow-Field Fuel Cells: A Two-Phase Numerical Modelling and Ex-Situ Experimental Study Energies PEMFC metal foam channel flow-field water transport mass transport two-phase numerical model |
| title | Liquid Water Transport in Porous Metal Foam Flow-Field Fuel Cells: A Two-Phase Numerical Modelling and Ex-Situ Experimental Study |
| title_full | Liquid Water Transport in Porous Metal Foam Flow-Field Fuel Cells: A Two-Phase Numerical Modelling and Ex-Situ Experimental Study |
| title_fullStr | Liquid Water Transport in Porous Metal Foam Flow-Field Fuel Cells: A Two-Phase Numerical Modelling and Ex-Situ Experimental Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Liquid Water Transport in Porous Metal Foam Flow-Field Fuel Cells: A Two-Phase Numerical Modelling and Ex-Situ Experimental Study |
| title_short | Liquid Water Transport in Porous Metal Foam Flow-Field Fuel Cells: A Two-Phase Numerical Modelling and Ex-Situ Experimental Study |
| title_sort | liquid water transport in porous metal foam flow field fuel cells a two phase numerical modelling and ex situ experimental study |
| topic | PEMFC metal foam channel flow-field water transport mass transport two-phase numerical model |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/7/1186 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ashleyfly liquidwatertransportinporousmetalfoamflowfieldfuelcellsatwophasenumericalmodellingandexsituexperimentalstudy AT kyoungyounkim liquidwatertransportinporousmetalfoamflowfieldfuelcellsatwophasenumericalmodellingandexsituexperimentalstudy AT johngordon liquidwatertransportinporousmetalfoamflowfieldfuelcellsatwophasenumericalmodellingandexsituexperimentalstudy AT danielbutcher liquidwatertransportinporousmetalfoamflowfieldfuelcellsatwophasenumericalmodellingandexsituexperimentalstudy AT ruichen liquidwatertransportinporousmetalfoamflowfieldfuelcellsatwophasenumericalmodellingandexsituexperimentalstudy |