NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF SPECIES DISTRIBUTION AND THE ANODE TRANSFER COEFFICIENT EFFECT ON THE PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FUEL CELL (PEMFC) PERFORMANCE

作者：Ahmadi Nima^*; Ahmadpour Vahid; Rezazadeh Sajad

来源：Heat Transfer Research, 2015, 46(10): 881-901.

DOI：10.1615/HeatTransRes.2015007251

• PEM fuel cells
• cell voltage
• current density
• CFD
• exchange coefficient
• fuel cell performance

A full numerical, three-dimensional, single phase computational fluid dynamics model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with both the gas distribution flow channels and the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) has been developed. A single set of conservation equations which are valid for the flow channels, gas-diffusion electrodes, catalyst layers, and the membrane region are developed and solved numerically using a finite volume-based computational fluid dynamics technique. The present simulated single straight channel PEMFC model, accounts for the major transport phenomena and performance. Additionally, the effect of the anode transfer coefficient, alpha(an), reduction on the fuel cell performance and species distribution has been investigated. The results showed that a decreasing anode transfer coefficient leads to a lower magnitude of oxygen and water mass fraction. In this way the current density, generated by the cell, decreases too. Finally, the numerical results are validated by available experimental data.

• 出版日期2015