Sensitivity analysis of water management in cathode side PEMFC varying structural and operational parameters by computational simulation

FALAGUERRA TOMÁS; GABRIEL CORREA PERELMUTER; HÉCTOR FASOLI

Buenos Aires

Encuentro; 20th Topical Meeting of International Society of Electrochemistry; 2017

International Society of Electrochemistry

Membrane humidification is an important factor affecting PEM fuel cell performance. In this way flow channels plays an important role among the components of a fuel cell, because they perform various essential functions that enable the system to improve water management. In most cases operational conditions have a strong contribution over the water production[1]. Several studies describe the advantages and disadvantages for different kinds of bipolar plates and flow channels configurations, being parallel, serpentine and interdigitated geometries the most habitually studied [2-4]. It is well known that not all the operations variables have the same impact over performance of the PEMFC [5]. The operational parameters simulated were cathode inlet velocities, cathode inlet water mass fraction and the structural parameters were gas diffusion layer porosity and configuration of the distribution channels (collectors) as over the the main channels and operations. Air flow simulations for different cathode models were carried out, obtaining water and current density distribution as a results.