Experimental and numerical analysis of honeycomb-shaped flow field for enhanced mass transport and performance in PEM fuel cells

IF 9.4 1区工程技术 Q1 ENERGY & FUELS

Energy Pub Date : 2025-10-09 DOI:10.1016/j.energy.2025.138808

Ruonan Ding , Yingchao Shang , Yanxiang Song , Weichang Gu , Xinghang Luo , Yang Liu , Zhen Guo

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Abstract

Hydrogen, known for its high efficiency, renewability, and ease of storage, is vital for low-carbon energy transitions, with proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) being an ideal energy conversion solution for automotive and stationary power generation. However, their commercialization is still limited by challenges in water management and oxygen transport at high current densities. To address these issues, we designed honeycomb-shaped flow fields (HCFF) with alternating branching and merging channels. The comprehensive experimental tests and numerical simulations were conducted to compare their performance with the conventional 3-serpentine straight flow field (SPFF). It showed that HCFF significantly improved fuel cell performance by enhancing oxygen transport and water management. HCFF-2, in particular, outperformed the other designs, demonstrating superior peak power density (1774.1 mW/cm²) under 80 % humidity and 150 kPa backpressure conditions, a 19.1 % improvement over the conventional SPFF (1490.1 mW/cm²). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements confirmed that HCFF-2 exhibited a lower mass transport resistance, with a mass transfer resistance (R_mt) value of 0.02753 Ω cm², significantly lower than the 0.07362 Ω cm² of the conventional SPFF, ensuring enhanced fuel cell performance. Additionally, the HCFF demonstrated excellent stability and a substantial pressure drop, further highlighting its advantages in overall fuel cell operation. These findings further supported by numerical simulations, which visualize the improved current density distribution, gas transport, and water management in HCFF. This research provides valuable insights into the design of fuel cell flow fields, offering a promising direction for improving PEMFC performance in practical applications.

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蜂窝状流场增强质子交换膜燃料电池的质量传递和性能的实验与数值分析

氢以其高效率、可再生和易于储存而闻名，对于低碳能源转换至关重要，质子交换膜燃料电池（pemfc）是汽车和固定发电的理想能量转换解决方案。然而，它们的商业化仍然受到水管理和高电流密度下氧气输送的挑战的限制。为了解决这些问题，我们设计了具有交替分支和合并通道的蜂窝状流场（HCFF）。通过综合试验和数值模拟，将其与传统的3-蛇形直流场（SPFF）进行了性能比较。研究表明，HCFF通过增强氧运输和水管理，显著提高了燃料电池的性能。特别是HCFF-2，表现优于其他设计，在80%湿度和150 kPa背压条件下表现出卓越的峰值功率密度（1774.1 mW/cm2），比传统SPFF （1490.1 mW/cm2）提高19.1%。电化学阻抗谱（EIS）测试证实，HCFF-2具有较低的传质电阻，其传质电阻（Rmt）值为0.02753 Ω cm2，显著低于传统SPFF的0.07362 Ω cm2，从而保证了燃料电池性能的提高。此外，HCFF表现出优异的稳定性和可观的压降，进一步突出了其在整体燃料电池运行中的优势。这些发现得到了数值模拟的进一步支持，模拟显示了HCFF中电流密度分布、气体输送和水管理的改善。该研究为燃料电池流场设计提供了有价值的见解，为提高PEMFC在实际应用中的性能提供了一个有希望的方向。

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来源期刊

Energy 工程技术-能源与燃料

CiteScore

15.30

自引率

14.40%

发文量

审稿时长

14.2 weeks

期刊介绍： Energy is a multidisciplinary, international journal that publishes research and analysis in the field of energy engineering. Our aim is to become a leading peer-reviewed platform and a trusted source of information for energy-related topics. The journal covers a range of areas including mechanical engineering, thermal sciences, and energy analysis. We are particularly interested in research on energy modelling, prediction, integrated energy systems, planning, and management. Additionally, we welcome papers on energy conservation, efficiency, biomass and bioenergy, renewable energy, electricity supply and demand, energy storage, buildings, and economic and policy issues. These topics should align with our broader multidisciplinary focus.