Effects of Different Channel Geometries of Metallic Bipolar Plates on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance
This paper investigates the effects of different channel geometries on the performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). The study employs computational fluid dynamics (CFD) coupled with thermal and electrochemical simulations to analyze five channel geometries (cases A to E) of bipol...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/23/7702 |
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| author | Raquel Busqué Matias Bossio Albert Brigido Antoni Lara |
| author_facet | Raquel Busqué Matias Bossio Albert Brigido Antoni Lara |
| author_sort | Raquel Busqué |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper investigates the effects of different channel geometries on the performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). The study employs computational fluid dynamics (CFD) coupled with thermal and electrochemical simulations to analyze five channel geometries (cases A to E) of bipolar plates. A thorough study on this topic is not found in the literature and aims to identify designs that optimize performance and align with cost-effective production methods. Among the various studied geometries, case D, featuring a trapezoidal cross-section, exhibited the most favorable performance compared to the others, with a current density value of 2.01 A/cm<sup>2</sup> and a maximum temperature of 74.89 °C at 0.3 V, leading to an increase in generated power of 4.46%, compared to base case A. The trapezoidal shape enhanced the contact area with the reacting region, resulting in higher reaction rates and an improved overall performance. However, the study also highlights the relevance of velocity and turbulence, with case B demonstrating an enhanced performance due to its higher velocity, and case E benefiting from localized higher velocity regions and turbulence created by baffles. Case B can increase generated power at its peak by around 3.21%, and case E can improve it by 1.29%, with respect to case A. These findings underscore that contact area has a major impact on the PEMFC performance, but velocity and turbulence also play relevant roles. Additionally, trapezoidal channels can be easily manufactured through sheet metal-forming techniques, aligning well with new market trends of weight and cost reduction on bipolar plates. Fuel and oxygen utilization percentages, 38.14% and 62.96% at 0.3 V, respectively, further confirm the superiority of trapezoidal channels, providing insights into optimizing the PEMFC performance. This exhaustive study contributes valuable information for designing efficient metallic bipolar plates and advancing the development of practical fuel cell technologies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:52:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-802f054bbbbc43098bfb559209cb9f98 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:52:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-802f054bbbbc43098bfb559209cb9f982023-12-08T15:14:25ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732023-11-011623770210.3390/en16237702Effects of Different Channel Geometries of Metallic Bipolar Plates on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell PerformanceRaquel Busqué0Matias Bossio1Albert Brigido2Antoni Lara3Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Product Innovation & Multiphysics Simulation Unit, Av. Universitat Autònoma, 23, 08290 Cerdanyola del Vallès, SpainEurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Product Innovation & Multiphysics Simulation Unit, Av. Universitat Autònoma, 23, 08290 Cerdanyola del Vallès, SpainEurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Product Innovation & Multiphysics Simulation Unit, Av. Universitat Autònoma, 23, 08290 Cerdanyola del Vallès, SpainEurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Product Innovation & Multiphysics Simulation Unit, Av. Universitat Autònoma, 23, 08290 Cerdanyola del Vallès, SpainThis paper investigates the effects of different channel geometries on the performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). The study employs computational fluid dynamics (CFD) coupled with thermal and electrochemical simulations to analyze five channel geometries (cases A to E) of bipolar plates. A thorough study on this topic is not found in the literature and aims to identify designs that optimize performance and align with cost-effective production methods. Among the various studied geometries, case D, featuring a trapezoidal cross-section, exhibited the most favorable performance compared to the others, with a current density value of 2.01 A/cm<sup>2</sup> and a maximum temperature of 74.89 °C at 0.3 V, leading to an increase in generated power of 4.46%, compared to base case A. The trapezoidal shape enhanced the contact area with the reacting region, resulting in higher reaction rates and an improved overall performance. However, the study also highlights the relevance of velocity and turbulence, with case B demonstrating an enhanced performance due to its higher velocity, and case E benefiting from localized higher velocity regions and turbulence created by baffles. Case B can increase generated power at its peak by around 3.21%, and case E can improve it by 1.29%, with respect to case A. These findings underscore that contact area has a major impact on the PEMFC performance, but velocity and turbulence also play relevant roles. Additionally, trapezoidal channels can be easily manufactured through sheet metal-forming techniques, aligning well with new market trends of weight and cost reduction on bipolar plates. Fuel and oxygen utilization percentages, 38.14% and 62.96% at 0.3 V, respectively, further confirm the superiority of trapezoidal channels, providing insights into optimizing the PEMFC performance. This exhaustive study contributes valuable information for designing efficient metallic bipolar plates and advancing the development of practical fuel cell technologies.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/23/7702Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cellcomputational fluid dynamicselectrochemical simulationchannel geometrybipolar plates |
| spellingShingle | Raquel Busqué Matias Bossio Albert Brigido Antoni Lara Effects of Different Channel Geometries of Metallic Bipolar Plates on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance Energies Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell computational fluid dynamics electrochemical simulation channel geometry bipolar plates |
| title | Effects of Different Channel Geometries of Metallic Bipolar Plates on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance |
| title_full | Effects of Different Channel Geometries of Metallic Bipolar Plates on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Different Channel Geometries of Metallic Bipolar Plates on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Different Channel Geometries of Metallic Bipolar Plates on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance |
| title_short | Effects of Different Channel Geometries of Metallic Bipolar Plates on Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance |
| title_sort | effects of different channel geometries of metallic bipolar plates on proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance |
| topic | Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell computational fluid dynamics electrochemical simulation channel geometry bipolar plates |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/23/7702 |
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