Numerical analysis on the liquid saturation at the cathode side of a PEM fuel cell with different flow paths

Abstract

The performance of fuel cells is greatly influenced by the design of the flow channels, making it one of the most significant factors impacting their overall performance. In this work, numerical simulations on serpentine, parallel, and interdigitated geometries are carried out using an open-source toolbox at 0.5, 0.4, and 0.3 V to observe the liquid water saturation distribution at the cathode side of a three-dimensional multiphase non-isothermal model of a Protonic Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. The results indicate that the serpentine flow channel shows the maximum current density and the minimum saturation distribution. Also, it is shown that maximum saturation values are located at the edges of the membrane-electrode assembly. There is an important change in the ionic distribution which directly impacts the current density.