Upscaling along-the-channel model to full-scale flow field for impoved performance of PEM fuel cell

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are considered the primary power source for future heavy-duty automotive applications due to their favorable characteristics versus batteries. In this study, the influence of different channel and land ratios is investigated using computational fluid dynamics modeling for an along-the-channel model, which is later upscaled to full-scale flow field size. Initially, fully humidified reactants are introduced into the channels, and polarization curves are recorded, with a focus on high current density operation, where substantial amounts of liquid water are generated. Different channel and land ratios result in significantly different amounts of water removal from the diffusion layers to the channels. Additionally, the channel and land ratio also result in significantly different heat and mass transfers inside the cell, which must be taken into consideration to determine the best configuration for upscaling. The results outline the best configurations which are then upscaled to conventional flow field size with single serpentine, considering that on the full-scale model there is a redistribution of the flow between the channels, where the initial and optimized cases are mutually compared. The results outline the differences between the two approaches, outlining the pros and cons of upscaling along the channel model on full-scale flow field size, and indicate the possibility of using optimization for such an approach to result in higher performance in a shorter amount of time.