Enhancing Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel-Cell Heat Transfer Performance with Embedded Cooling Channel Design: A Systematic Numerical Study

Abstract

This paper aims to improve the internal heat distribution and effective thermal management of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) while reducing its volume. A novel embedded liquid cooling channel was designed to achieve this, and a three-dimensional, multiphase numerical model of the PEMFC was established. Compared with the conventional straight-through channel, which features straight channels for both the anode and cooling runners, the embedded cooling channel demonstrates a lower temperature difference and pressure drop, reducing both by 17.5% and 71.9%, respectively. The embedded channel structure was studied based on indicators such as the index of uniform temperature distribution (IUT), average cooling channel walls heat flux, H2 mole fraction distribution, H2 flow channel pressure drop, and net power. The results show that increasing the contact length (L) between the anode plate and the anode diffusion layer is beneficial for the diffusion of anode gas, controlling fuel-cell temperature, and improving net power. Furthermore, it is recommended that the angle of the embedded channel be greater than 60°, and L should be greater than 8/16 of the PEMFC width. This study provides a new solution to the problem of PEMFC thermal management and valuable references for PEMFC engineering design.