Treffer: Performance study of PEMFC based on response surface methodology and optimization of trapezoidal block parameters.

Fuel transport and hydrothermal management within the flow channels significantly affect the efficiency and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). The geometry and structural dimensions of the channels play a critical role in facilitating the transport of reactive gases and the removal of liquid water. In this study, a novel flow channel design incorporating trapezoidal blocks is proposed. The response surface methodology is employed to optimize three key design parameters: the windward angle of the trapezoidal blocks, the number of blocks, and their width. Various size configurations are modeled using full-scale three-dimensional geometry and analyzed through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Multiple quadratic regression models are developed to capture the functional relationships between the design parameters and the resulting current density. By analyzing the regression equation, the optimal geometric structure of the trapezoidal block was determined and compared with the traditional straight channel design. The results indicate that, compared with the conventional single-channel fuel cell, the optimized fuel cell with a trapezoidal block flow field structure significantly enhances the oxygen concentration in the reaction region at an operating voltage of 0.5 V, increases the maximum gas velocity by 275%, improves the current density by 8.4%, and raises the net output power by 8.5%. In addition, under the application of a step-change current, the trapezoidal block flow field enables the cell to reach a stable state more quickly and effectively reduces voltage losses. This study provides strong theoretical support and valuable engineering guidance for the optimization design of block structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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