Experimental Investigations on Cell Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with Orientated-Type Flow Channels

Abstract

A better-designed flow channel can enhance the mass transfer and improve the performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. An orientated-type flow channel can achieve guidance on reactant and product transfers, resulting in an increase in the mass transfer flux and the rapid removal of the product (especially liquid water). In this study, flow fields with different orientated-type gas flow channels having different baffles are fabricated, and their effects on the current density outputs of proton exchange membrane fuel cells under various heating temperature and reactant flow rate conditions are investigated using a self-constructed testing system. The experimental results indicate that cell performance can be increased when using orientated-type flow channels with baffles having longer leeward sides, and cell performance is increased more under a suitable heating temperature. Moreover, the increase in the current densities of proton exchange membrane fuel cells with smaller baffles is limited when increasing the reactant flow rates. This limitation can be avoided when using the orientated-type flow channels with baffles having longer leeward sides.