THREE-DIMENSIONAL COMPUTATIONAL MODEL OF TRANSPORT PHENOMENA IN A COMPLETE PEM FUEL CELL

A computational model of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEM), non-isothermal and three-dimensional has been developed. This simulation accounts for important transport phenomena, associating heat/mass transfer and electrochemical reaction. A complete cell is considered, with both the membrane-elecrode-assembly (MEA) and the gas distribution flow channel. A serpentine gas flow channel is considered to highlight channel shape influence electrochemical reaction, that is strongly influenced by local reactants concentration and temperature. In this single phase model are considered spatial distribution of heat transfer, mass transfer, electrode kinetics and potential loss due to membrane and gas diffusion layer resistance and activation overpotential. The model is implemented into a computational fluid dynamics code, CFX 4.4. Electrochemical reaction and multifuel properties are developed in different dedicated Fortran routine coupled whit the CFD code.