Dong-Soo Ko/Young-Min Kang/Jang-Sik Yang/Ji-Hwan Jeong/Gyung-Min Choi/Duck-Jool Kim
The Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, vol. 24, no. 2, pp.537-543, 2010

Abstract : The effect of channel flow pattern on the internal properties distribution of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) for cathode starvation conditions in a unit cell was investigated through numerical studies and experiments. The polarization curves of a lab-scale mixed serpentine PEMFC were measured with increasing current loads for different cell temperatures (40, 50, and 60°C) at a relative humidity of 100%. To study the local temperature on the membrane, the water content in the MEA, and the gas velocity in terms of the channel type of the PEMFC with operating characteristics, numerical studies using the es-pemfc module of STAR-CD, which have been matched to the experimental data, were conducted in detail. The water content and velocity at the cathode channel bend of the mixed serpentine channel were relatively higher than those at the single and double channels. Conversely, the local temperature and mean temperature on the membrane of a single serpentine channel were the highest among all channels. These results can be used to design the PEMFC system, the channel flow field, and the cooling device.

Keyword : PEMFC; Internal properties; Channel flow; And starvation condition