Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell for Power Generation

This study provides an ANSYS Fluent Polymer Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell capable of generating 1 kW of power for hurricane struck gulf coastal regions. The objective is to be able to provide a portable compact source of power distribution to flooded areas around the Houston and Galveston area. A numerical computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was constructed for a 72x71 mm serpentine PEM fuel cell to examine the validity of the numerical results. The model is divided in half where one side is the anode, and the other half consists of the cathode section. The model is evaluated based on the current to voltage (polarization) curves obtained by specifying the voltage at the cathode and calculating the current density at the cathode wall. Some parameters which are known to decrease the current density are used as a way to achieve a closer fit with experimental results. Furthermore, the polarization curves obtained similar trends with maximum current densities of 200 mA/cm2 ¬at operating pressure and temperature of 4 bar and 333 kelvins, respectively. The main parameters governing voltage drops were found to be due to contact resistance and water formation. A discussion is provided on managing the previously mentioned parameters and inlet flow rates to obtain closer fit of data using a systematic approach as provided in literature. Inaccuracies in data were attributed to experimental inconsistencies such as modelling of cooling channels, catalyst degradation, and high pressures throughout the fuel cell assembly.