Abstract:
In order to research the influence of flow channel structures on the reaction gas mass transfer and output performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC),three-dimensional geometric models of wing vein flow channel,serpentine flow channel and leaf vein flow channel are established. Then,the reaction gas concentration distribution,pressure distribution and current density distribution of three flow channels are compared. Furthermore,the structural parameters of the wing vein flow channel are optimized.The main conclusions are as follows:Firstly,compared with serpentine flow channel and leaf vein flow channel,wing vein flow channel can significantly improve the uniformity of reaction gas concentration distribution in channel and diffusion layer,which can enhance the mass transfer of reaction gas in catalytic layer. Secondly,the wing vein flow channel can reduce the gas pressure gradient distribution and promote the diffuse of reaction gas. Thirdly,the average membrane current density of the wing vein flow channel is highest,which is conducive to the stable progress of the electrochemical reaction. Fourthly,the wing vein flow channel can improve the output performance of PEMFC. In addition,the peak power density of wing vein flow channel is 7.72% and 6.25% higher than that of the serpentine flow channel and the leaf vein flow channel respectively. Finally,the output performance of the wing vein flow channel can be improved by reducing the length of the straight flow channel or the center angle of the circular flow channel.