Numerical Analysis of the Effect of a Radial Serpentine Flow Field on PEMFC Performance

Abstract

The flow field is a crucial factor affecting the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). To enhance cell performance, this paper proposes a radial serpentine flow field. Using COMSOL software, a three-dimensional steady-state model is established for numerical simulation, focusing on the number of channels and inlet flow rate. The study analyzed cell output performance, velocity distribution, water-oxygen distribution, and pressure drop. Results indicate that increasing the number of channels can achieve two improvements: firstly, the channel length becomes shorter, improving gas supply capacity and gas uniformity; secondly, increasing the number of channels creates a shunt effect on the gas, significantly reducing the pressure drop. Optimal cell performance is observed when the number of channels is six and the inlet flow rate is 0.4 m/s. Compared to the traditional serpentine flow field (SFF), the radial serpentine flow field exhibited substantial advantages. Notably, it showed significant improvements in oxygen distribution uniformity and reduced pressure loss. At maximum power density, the oxygen distribution uniformity in Case 5 increased by 48.8% compared to SFF. Additionally, due to overcoming the significant pressure drop issue in the SFF, the radial serpentine flow field notably improved net power output, showing a 6% increase compared to the SFF.