TY - GEN
T1 - Uniform Distribution of Species in Fuel Cells using a Multiple Flow Bifurcation Design
AU - Li, Peiwen
AU - Coopamah, Devasubramaniam
AU - Ki, Jeong Pill
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by ASME.
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - This paper presents the results obtained from the study about flow distribution in maintaining uniformity of flow fields in fuel cells. Three novel flow distribution designs on bipolar plates are proposed for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The flow distributors have multiple levels of bifurcations to split a flow into sub-streams of equal flow rates. There are three types of bifurcation structure proposed and studied, which are the 900 tee-type, rounded-type and slanted-type. Experiments were carried out to test the velocities of flows from the multiple channels after bifurcations, and the flow uniformity on the bipolar plate is estimated and studied. Overall evaluation of flow uniformity in the three designs was conducted. The rounded-type bifurcation structure showed the best flow uniformity. After experimental verification of the uniform flow distribution in the novel design, three PEM fuel cell was fabricated which adopted the novel flow fields. From the experimental test and comparison under dry fuel and air condition, it is found that the PEMFC with new flow field can have a better performance. Thorough experimental investigation is planned for the future study.
AB - This paper presents the results obtained from the study about flow distribution in maintaining uniformity of flow fields in fuel cells. Three novel flow distribution designs on bipolar plates are proposed for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The flow distributors have multiple levels of bifurcations to split a flow into sub-streams of equal flow rates. There are three types of bifurcation structure proposed and studied, which are the 900 tee-type, rounded-type and slanted-type. Experiments were carried out to test the velocities of flows from the multiple channels after bifurcations, and the flow uniformity on the bipolar plate is estimated and studied. Overall evaluation of flow uniformity in the three designs was conducted. The rounded-type bifurcation structure showed the best flow uniformity. After experimental verification of the uniform flow distribution in the novel design, three PEM fuel cell was fabricated which adopted the novel flow fields. From the experimental test and comparison under dry fuel and air condition, it is found that the PEMFC with new flow field can have a better performance. Thorough experimental investigation is planned for the future study.
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U2 - 10.1115/FuelCell2008-65106
DO - 10.1115/FuelCell2008-65106
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:77952599046
T3 - ASME 2008 6th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology, FUELCELL 2008
SP - 897
EP - 902
BT - ASME 2008 6th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology, FUELCELL 2008
PB - American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
T2 - ASME 2008 6th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology, FUELCELL 2008
Y2 - 16 June 2008 through 18 June 2008
ER -