Description

Various biologically inspired flow field designs of the gas distributor (interconnector) have been designed and simulated. Their performance using Nafion-212 with humidified H2 and Air at 80 °C with the ANSYS Fluent Fuel Cell module software was evaluated. Novel interdigitated

Various biologically inspired flow field designs of the gas distributor (interconnector) have been designed and simulated. Their performance using Nafion-212 with humidified H2 and Air at 80 °C with the ANSYS Fluent Fuel Cell module software was evaluated. Novel interdigitated designs were optimized by obeying biologically inspired branching rules. These rules allow for more mathematically formal descriptions of flow field designs, enabling relatively simple optimization. The channel to land ratio was kept equivalent between designs with typical values between 0.8 and 1.0. The pressure drop and the current density distribution were monitored for each design on both anode and cathode sides. The most promising designs are expected to exhibit lower pressure drop however, low pressure drop can also be an indication of potential water flooding at higher operating current density. A biologically inspired interdigitated design with 9 inlet channels exhibited reduced pressure drop and improved current density distribution compared to all other interdigitated designs evaluated in this study. The simulated fuel cell performance data at ambient pressure with humidified H2 and air compares well with the experimental data using a single serpentine flow field design.

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    Title
    • Modeling and Simulation of Biologically Inspired Flow Field Designs for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
    Contributors
    Date Created
    2015
    Resource Type
  • Text
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    Identifier
    • Digital object identifier: 10.2174/1876505X01506010001
    • Identifier Type
      International standard serial number
      Identifier Value
      1876-505X
    Note
    • The final version of this article, as published in The Open Electrochemistry Journal, can be viewed online at: https://benthamopen.com/ABSTRACT/TOELECJ-6-1

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    This is a suggested citation. Consult the appropriate style guide for specific citation guidelines.

    Arvay, A., French, J., Wang, J., Peng, X., & Kannan, A. M. (2015). Modeling and Simulation of Biologically Inspired Flow Field Designs for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. The Open Electrochemistry Journal, 6. doi:10.2174/1876505X01506010001

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