Abstract

Proton exchange fuel cells (PEMFC) are devices that can convert chemical energy into electrical energy directly, generating water and heat as products. Therefore, they are considered a clean energy alternative in electricity generation. To optimize its performance, it is necessary to understand the transport phenomena that govern its operation. Therefore, in this work, an analysis of the mass and energy transport phenomena was carried out using a multiphase non-isothermal 3D model of a single-channel PEMFC. The open source OpenFOAM (Open Field Operation and Manipulation) was used to determine the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in the case study. The results show that the water formation zones are located beneath the intercostal spaces of the bipolar plates (BP). Also, the increase in the water condensation rate presents a restriction in the supply of reagents in the catalytic sites of the porous media and impacts the overall performance of the fuel cell. (pages 1-9)