A parametric comparison of temperature uniformity and energy performance of a PEMFC having serpentine wavy channels

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are regarded as alternative energy sources because they are environment friendly and deliver no harmful emission. As its reliability and power generating efficiency is largely influenced by the temperature distribution, it is necessary to improve the temperature uniformity which is crucial in PEMFCs. To this end, this numerical study presents an attempt to optimize the flow channels via introducing wavy shape flow channels at the ribs. The numerical model is validated by experimental data available in the open literature. Two kinds of wavy shape flow channels are designed while straight flow channel is set as a reference. In the PEMFCs with wavy shape flow channels, the effects of the amplitude and wavelength on the thermal performance are simulated and analyzed. Results show that wavy shape flow channels provide better performance not only for thermal uniformity but also for PEMFC output power and efficiency. With lower amplitude and wavelength of wavy shape flow channels, the power can be promoted up to 3.69% and 7.26% for two kinds of wavy shaped flow channels compared with straight flow channel, respectively. The influences of amplitude and wavelength on the thermal uniformity and the output power are also analyzed. This paper provides a new insight to PEMFC flow channel designers.