Simulations of two-phase flow distribution in communicating parallel channels for a PEM fuel cell |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3;2. Clean Energy Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3;1. Fuel Cell Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia;2. Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia;1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, 15875-4413, Iran;2. Center for Fuel Cell Research, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA;1. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616-5294, United States;2. Mechanical Engineering, Western New England University, 1215 Wilbraham Road, Springfield, MA 01119, United States;1. Institute of Thermal Engineering, School of Mechanical Electronic and Control Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China;2. Beijing Key Laboratory of Flow and Heat Transfer of Phase Changing in Micro and Small Scale, Beijing 100044, China;1. State Key Laboratory of Engines, Tianjin University, 135 Yaguan Road, Tianjin 300350, China;2. Weichai (Weifang) New Energy Technology Co., Ltd, 197A Fushou East Street, Weifang 261061, China |
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| Abstract: | Numerical simulations utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with a volume of fluid (VOF) method has been employed to investigate two-phase flow distribution in inter-connected parallel flow channels. The interconnections resemble gas and liquid communications in fuel cell flow fields due to the inherent or artificial structures of gas diffusion layers (GDLs). The simulation results showed that communication between parallel channels could have a great impact on the two-phase flow pattern, gas and water distribution and flow maldistribution. Wide communication channels provide a pathway for gas to short-circuit the liquid, leading to a worsened gas flow distribution. However, when the communication channels are narrow enough, they are helpful for mitigating the flow maldistribution by redistributing the liquid among the parallel flow channels through the communication channels. The simulation results were also verified by comparing the predicted and measured normalized pressure drop and the gas flow ratios at the entrance section of experimental parallel channels. |
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