Parametric optimization of wall-mounted cuboid rows installed in interdigitated flow channel of HT-PEM fuel cells

High temperature proton exchange membrane (HT-PEM) fuel cells reduce water management problems and tolerates CO better in a polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane because they work at temperatures higher than 120 degrees C. This paper examines the effect of setting wall-mounted cuboid rows in the interdigitated flow channel on the performance of HT-PEM fuel cells through experiments and simulations. The results of numerically analyzing the four flow channels show that setting the wall-mounted cuboid rows in top half parts of the channel can improve the cell performance. The best net electric power occurs at the arrangement of Case I increasing net electric power by 7.82% compared to the smooth interdigitated flow channel. The Case I design is then used to conduct the experiment with L-27 orthogonal array of the Taguchi method to determine different optimal combined factors. The best combined factor level raises 191.09% electrical power than that for the minimum pressure loss, but it decreases the pressure drop than that for maximum power up to 17.00%. Applying Nyquist plots compares the internal impedance between various optimal parameters combinations of Case I and the smooth interdigitated flow channel to confirm the polarization performance results. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study investigated the performance of HT-PEM fuel cells with wall-mounted cuboid rows in the interdigitated flow channel, showing an improvement in cell performance. Through experiments, the optimal combined factor level was determined to increase electrical power and reduce pressure losses, confirming the results of numerical analysis.