Assessment of the PEMFC performance: a CFD study based on channel width to rib width ratio effect

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) systems, clean, cost-effective, green-friendly, capable of using hydrogen as a direct fuel, have potential to compensate for our energy needs in the near future. The gas flow field, which is the backbone of the fuel cell, plays a vital role in both the reactant distribution and removal of water formed due to electrochemical reactions from the cell. Flow field configuration is one of the crucial design parameters influencing the PEMFC performance. The present study proposed a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics CFD model based on the FLUENT with a 2.6 cm2 active area, has been researching the impact of the channel width to rib width ratio of the single serpentine flow field to obtain the top-level cell performance. The simulation model was operated at the pressure of 3 atm., the temperature of 343 K, and reactant gases were completely humidified. Here, the channel width to rib width ratio (Cw/Rw) is altered as 0.5, 1, and 2 values, respectively, to observe the performance alteration. The current density and power density diagrams, which define the PEMFC characteristic, were combined into one chart for better comparison. The present study discovered that the highest power density was 1.0896 W cm−2 when the Cw/Rw is 2 at 0.6 V operating voltage. We concluded that better water management obtained the best power density and current density values for the channel width to rib width 1 × 0.5 mm geometry.