NDLI: The Effect of Flow Channel Surface Properties and Structures on Water Removal and Fuel Cell Performance

Content Provider	The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Digital Collection
Author	Brooks, R. Friess Samuel, C. Yew Hoorfar, Mina
Copyright Year	2011
Abstract	The polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell is a zero emission power generation system that has long been considered as a replacement for conventional fossil fuel combustion systems. However, before constituting a viable market for commercial use, the fuel cell efficiency and reliability need to be improved significantly. It has been shown that water management has significant effect on the power and reliability of the cell as the electrolyte membrane must be well hydrated to allow for ion transfer while excess water blocks the activation sites on the cathode side. The latter effect is known as flooding which occurs at large current densities and compromises the normal operation of the fuel cell. To enhance water management, a prodigious amount of numerical models and experimental studies have been conducted to optimize the properties and structures of different layers. One of the key results of these studies has been the design of the flow field patterns on relatively hydrophobic surface of a graphite plate which is believed to provide a better mechanism for removing water droplets from the cathode flow channel. However, the wettability gradient between the catalyst layer (i.e., hydrophilic) and the flow channel (which is currently hydrophobic) introduces problems as the water droplets formed at the catalyst layer will not likely detach and hence create a film of liquid that will block the activation sites. If the flow channel is made out of a material that is more hydrophilic than the catalyst layer, water removal and transport will be enhanced as water naturally moves from low surface energy to high surface energy sites. Another major factor in controlling water in the PEM fuel cell is the flow field architecture. There has also been a large amount of research on different types of the flow field architectures. However, there have been no studies on the relative performance gains provided by changing the surface properties and the architecture separately. This paper presents an experimental analysis comparing two different flow fields with different surface properties, i.e., a hydrophilic gold flow channel and a hydrophobic graphite flow channel. The paper will also compare three different hydrophilic flow channel architectures: an open gold parallel flow channel, an aluminum foam filled parallel flow channel, and a woven wick filled parallel flow channel. This work will result in finding the optimum geometry and surface properties for achieving maximum performance in the flooding regime.
Sponsorship	Advanced Energy Systems Division
Starting Page	145
Ending Page	152
Page Count	8
File Format	PDF
ISBN	9780791854693
DOI	10.1115/FuelCell2011-54489
Volume Number	ASME 2011 9th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology
Conference Proceedings	ASME 2011 9th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology collocated with ASME 2011 5th International Conference on Energy Sustainability
Language	English
Publisher Date	2011-08-07
Publisher Place	Washington, DC, USA
Access Restriction	Subscribed
Subject Keyword	Water Membranes Catalysts Aluminum Water resource management Energy / power systems Floods Design Proton exchange membranes Fuel cells Surface properties Combustion systems Proton exchange membrane fuel cells Architecture Computer simulation Fossil fuels Flow (dynamics) Emissions Geometry Experimental analysis Drops Graphite Electrolytes Reliability Surface energy
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article

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Effect of the Hydrophilic Compact Aluminum-Foam Filled Flow Channel on Water Removal From the Cathode Catalyst Layer

Measuring Critical Velocity of Water Droplet Removal on Gas Diffusion Layers of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

The Role of Channel Plurality in Two-Phase Flow Instabilities in PEM Cathode Channels

Liquid Water and Gas Flow Simulation in a Channel of PEM Fuel Cells Using the Lattice Boltzmann Method

Nonlinear Analysis of Two-Phase Instabilities in PEMFC Parallel-Channel Cathodes

Initial Development of a Method for Optical Measurement of Water Droplet Formation in the Cathode Flow Channel of a PEM Fuel Cell

Liquid Water Transport and Distribution in Fibrous Porous Media and Gas Channels

Analysis of Pressure Drop and Water Flooding of Two-Phase Flow Along Channels for a PEM Fuel Cell System

Effect of Gravity on Droplet Growth and Detachment Inside a Simulated PEM Fuel Cell Air Flow Channel With Hydrophobic Walls

The Effect of Flow Channel Surface Properties and Structures on Water Removal and Fuel Cell Performance

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