Impacts of channel wettability and flow direction on liquid water transport in the serpentine flow field of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell
Impacts of channel wettability and flow direction on liquid water transport in the serpentine flow field of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell
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DOI：
10.1016/j.jpowsour.2014.11.059
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发表时间：
2015-02
影响因子：
9.2
通讯作者：
Kosuke Nishida;Ryo Taniguchi;Y. Ishizaki;S. Tsushima;S. Hirai
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Kosuke Nishida;Ryo Taniguchi;Y. Ishizaki;S. Tsushima;S. Hirai
聚合物电解质燃料电池（PEFC）阴极流场堵水是实现高功率密度和高耐久性必须解决的关键问题之一。为了缓解水堵引起的性能下降，有必要控制液态水在气体通道内的传输，促进水的去除。在这项研究中，在一个专门的透明PEFC的蛇形流场的液态水的行为进行了现场可视化使用高速摄像机。同时测量了电池电压和阴极进出口压差，研究了操作条件下通道润湿性和流动方向对水传输和电池性能的影响。发现蛇形通道的水平布置增强了液态水从电池中的去除，而不受重力的干扰。特别地，水平取向的蛇形通道的高亲水涂层有效地抑制了水堵塞并降低了阴极流场内的压差。
Water plugging in cathode flow field of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is one of the critical issues to be solved for high power density and high durability. To alleviate performance degradation due to water plugging, it is necessary to control liquid water transport inside gas channel and promote water removal. In this study, the in-situ visualization of liquid water behavior in the serpentine flow field of a specialized transparent PEFC was performed using a high-speed camera. Furthermore, the cell voltage and the differential pressure between the cathode inlet and outlet were simultaneously measured, and the effects of channel wettability and flow direction on the water transport and cell performance were investigated under operating conditions. It was found that the horizontal arrangement of the serpentine channel enhances liquid water removal from the cell without being disturbed by gravity. Especially, highly hydrophilic coating of the horizontally oriented serpentine channel effectively suppresses water plugging and reduces the differential pressure inside the cathode flow field.