Wavy Surface Cathode Gas Flow Channel Effects on Transport Processes in a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

Abstract

The flow field design of current collectors is a significant issue, which greatly affects the mass transport processes of reactants/products inside fuel cells. Especially for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, an appropriate flow field design is very important due to the water balance problem. In this paper, a wavy surface is employed at the cathode flow channel to improve the oxygen mass transport process. The effects of wavy surface on transport processes are numerically investigated by using a three-dimensional anisotropic model including a water phase change model and a spherical agglomerate model. It is found that the wavy configurations enhance the oxygen transport and decrease the water saturation level. It is concluded that the predicted results and findings provide the guideline for the design and manufacture of fuel cells.