IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v11y2018i7p1770-d156440.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Numerical Simulation of Water Transport in a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Flow Channel

Author

Listed:
  • Jun Shen

    (School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China)

  • Zhichun Liu

    (School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China)

  • Fan Liu

    (School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China)

  • Wei Liu

    (School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China)

Abstract

Water management of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is crucial to maintain high performance and stable operation. The flow channel is an indispensable part of PEMFCs, which allows the reactant gases to flow into the system, and the liquid water to be removed from the fuel cells. A transient 3D model based on volume of fluid methodology is used to study the dynamic characteristics of gas-liquid two-phase flow in a PEMFC flow channel. The structure of the flow channel, the wettability of channel surfaces, the air inlet velocity, the dimensions of the water droplets, and the effect of phase transition are considered to obtain the optimal solution. The results show that the water droplet transport process is seriously affected by the wettability of the channel surfaces. A modified surface design with varied static surface contact angle could perform the detachment without external force with an appropriate initial velocity. Besides, phase transitions could seriously influence the form and the distribution of water existing in the channel.

Suggested Citation

  • Jun Shen & Zhichun Liu & Fan Liu & Wei Liu, 2018. "Numerical Simulation of Water Transport in a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Flow Channel," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-23, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:11:y:2018:i:7:p:1770-:d:156440
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/7/1770/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/7/1770/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ge, Ya & Liu, Zhichun & Sun, Henan & Liu, Wei, 2018. "Optimal design of a segmented thermoelectric generator based on three-dimensional numerical simulation and multi-objective genetic algorithm," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 1060-1069.
    2. Wang, Yun & Chen, Ken S. & Mishler, Jeffrey & Cho, Sung Chan & Adroher, Xavier Cordobes, 2011. "A review of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: Technology, applications, and needs on fundamental research," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(4), pages 981-1007, April.
    3. Chen, Ben & Wang, Jun & Yang, Tianqi & Cai, Yonghua & Zhang, Caizhi & Chan, Siew Hwa & Yu, Yi & Tu, Zhengkai, 2016. "Carbon corrosion and performance degradation mechanism in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with dead-ended anode and cathode," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 54-62.
    4. Wan, Zhongmin & Liu, Jing & Luo, Zhiping & Tu, Zhengkai & Liu, Zhichun & Liu, Wei, 2013. "Evaluation of self-water-removal in a dead-ended proton exchange membrane fuel cell," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 751-757.
    5. Stambouli, A. Boudghene, 2011. "Fuel cells: The expectations for an environmental-friendly and sustainable source of energy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(9), pages 4507-4520.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Carsten Cosse & Marc Schumann & Florian Grumm & Daniel Becker & Detlef Schulz, 2020. "Numerical Investigation of PEMFC Short-Circuit Behaviour Using an Agglomerate Model Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-25, August.
    2. Ikechukwu S. Anyanwu & Yuze Hou & Wenmiao Chen & Fengwen Pan & Qing Du & Jin Xuan & Kui Jiao, 2019. "Numerical Investigation of Liquid Water Transport Dynamics in Novel Hybrid Sinusoidal Flow Channel Designs for PEMFC," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-20, October.
    3. Ikechukwu S. Anyanwu & Zhiqiang Niu & Daokuan Jiao & Aezid-Ul-Hassan Najmi & Zhi Liu & Kui Jiao, 2020. "Liquid Water Transport Behavior at GDL-Channel Interface of a Wave-Like Channel," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-20, May.
    4. N. Ibrahim-Rassoul & E.-K. Si-Ahmed & A. Serir & A. Kessi & J. Legrand & N. Djilali, 2019. "Investigation of Two-Phase Flow in a Hydrophobic Fuel-Cell Micro-Channel," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-32, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tsai, Shang-Wen & Chen, Yong-Song, 2017. "A mathematical model to study the energy efficiency of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with a dead-ended anode," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 151-159.
    2. Wang, Bowen & Deng, Hao & Jiao, Kui, 2018. "Purge strategy optimization of proton exchange membrane fuel cell with anode recirculation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 1-13.
    3. Chen, Huicui & Zhao, Xin & Qu, Bingwang & Zhang, Tong & Pei, Pucheng & Li, Congxin, 2018. "An evaluation method of gas distribution quality in dynamic process of proton exchange membrane fuel cell," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 26-35.
    4. Chen, Ben & Cai, Yonghua & Tu, Zhengkai & Chan, Siew Hwa & Wang, Jun & Yu, Yi, 2017. "Gas purging effect on the degradation characteristic of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with dead-ended mode operation I. With different electrolytes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 40-49.
    5. Kurnia, Jundika C. & Sasmito, Agus P. & Shamim, Tariq, 2019. "Advances in proton exchange membrane fuel cell with dead-end anode operation: A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 1-1.
    6. Zhou, Zihan & Qiu, Diankai & Zhai, Shuang & Peng, Linfa & Lai, Xinmin, 2020. "Investigation of the assembly for high-power proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks through an efficient equivalent model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    7. Zhang, Qinguo & Tong, Zheming & Tong, Shuiguang & Cheng, Zhewu, 2021. "Modeling and dynamic performance research on proton exchange membrane fuel cell system with hydrogen cycle and dead-ended anode," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    8. Abdin, Z. & Webb, C.J. & Gray, E.MacA., 2016. "PEM fuel cell model and simulation in Matlab–Simulink based on physical parameters," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 116(P1), pages 1131-1144.
    9. Zhang, Xiaoqing & Yang, Jiapei & Ma, Xiao & Zhuge, Weilin & Shuai, Shijin, 2022. "Modelling and analysis on effects of penetration of microporous layer into gas diffusion layer in PEM fuel cells: Focusing on mass transport," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(PA).
    10. Vasallo, Manuel Jesús & Bravo, José Manuel & Andújar, José Manuel, 2013. "Optimal sizing for UPS systems based on batteries and/or fuel cell," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 170-181.
    11. Abdollahzadeh, M. & Ribeirinha, P. & Boaventura, M. & Mendes, A., 2018. "Three-dimensional modeling of PEMFC with contaminated anode fuel," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 939-959.
    12. Lu Zhang & Yongfeng Liu & Pucheng Pei & Xintong Liu & Long Wang & Yuan Wan, 2022. "Variation Characteristic Analysis of Water Content at the Flow Channel of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-20, April.
    13. Guo, Hang & Liu, Xuan & Zhao, Jian Fu & Ye, Fang & Ma, Chong Fang, 2014. "Experimental study of two-phase flow in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell in short-term microgravity condition," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 509-518.
    14. Yuan, Wei & Tang, Yong & Yang, Xiaojun & Wan, Zhenping, 2012. "Porous metal materials for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells – A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 309-329.
    15. Luka Mihanović & Željko Penga & Lei Xing & Viktor Hacker, 2021. "Combining Baffles and Secondary Porous Layers for Performance Enhancement of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-28, June.
    16. Lin, Jui-Yen & Shih, Yu-Jen & Chen, Po-Yen & Huang, Yao-Hui, 2016. "Precipitation recovery of boron from aqueous solution by chemical oxo-precipitation at room temperature," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1052-1058.
    17. Wang, Yujie & Sun, Zhendong & Chen, Zonghai, 2019. "Energy management strategy for battery/supercapacitor/fuel cell hybrid source vehicles based on finite state machine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    18. Wang, Junye, 2015. "Theory and practice of flow field designs for fuel cell scaling-up: A critical review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 640-663.
    19. Sharma, Monikankana & N, Rakesh & Dasappa, S., 2016. "Solid oxide fuel cell operating with biomass derived producer gas: Status and challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 450-463.
    20. Bao, Zhiming & Niu, Zhiqiang & Jiao, Kui, 2020. "Gas distribution and droplet removal of metal foam flow field for proton exchange membrane fuel cells," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:11:y:2018:i:7:p:1770-:d:156440. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.