Studies on performance enhancement and sustainment strategy for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Abstract

Fuel cell technology has begun to make its stride and proved to be a crucial piece of the energy puzzle. Fuel cell with a combination of benefits like efficiency, sustainability, scalability, zero emission, flexibility of fuel usage makes it a good fit for a variety of applications. During decades past, interest in hydrogen based Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell research and development has intensified more institutions and universities all over the world to get involve. PEM fuel cells due to their low operating temperature, high efficiency (gt50%), rapid start up time, and suitable transient response characteristics are most suited for many stationary power, portable power, and automotive applications. The aim of this research work is to enhance the performance of a PEMFC by improving the distribution and diffusion of reactant species with effective water removal along its domain by combining two different flow fields (i.e. serpentine and perforated flow fields) on both anode and cathode sides of the cell. This research work also aims to reduce the size, weight, manufacturing efforts and cost of the PEM fuel cell by simplifying its design configuration. This work focus on comparing the performance of perforated flow field with the serpentine flow field and to combine both flow fields on anode and cathode sides to have both continuous and discrete flow of reactant gas in the PEMFC. This research work starts with a review of literature relating to bipolar plate design, flow field design, stacking up issues, influence of flow direction of reactants, influence of material properties and influence of operating parameters. In the literature review of various flow fields such as parallel, interdigitated, pin type, spiral etc., the performance of the serpentine flow field is found to be bette newline