Journal
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
Volume 230, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2020.113785
Keywords
Fuel cell; Compression effect; Metal foam microstructure; Neutron radiography; X-ray CT
Categories
Funding
- EPSRC [EP/S018204/2, EP/P009050/1, EP/R023581/1]
- China Scholarship Council
- UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences
- STFC Futures Early Career Award [ST/R006873/1]
- Sichuan Province Science and Technology Fund [2019YJ0236]
- EPSRC [EP/P009050/1] Funding Source: UKRI
- STFC [ST/R006873/1] Funding Source: UKRI
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study shows that moderate compression of metal foam can enhance the optimal performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells, improving water management capabilities and reducing gas channel resistance.
The mechanical compression of metal foam flow-field based polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is critical in determining the interfacial contact resistance with gas diffusion layers (GDLs), reactant flow and water management. The distinct scale between the pore structure of metal foams and the entire flow-field warrant a multi length scale characterization that combines ex-situ tests of compressed metal foam samples and in-operando analysis of operating PEFCs using X-ray computed tomography (CT) and neutron radiography. An optimal 'medium' compression was found to deliver a peak power density of 853 mW cm-2. The X-ray CT data indicates that the compression process significantly decreases the mean pore size and narrows the pore size distribution of metal foams. Simulation results suggest compressing metal foam increases the pressure drop and gas velocity, improving the convective liquid water removal. This is in agreement with the neutron imaging results that demonstrates an increase in the mass of accumulated liquid water with minimum compression compared to the medium and maximum compression cases. The results show that a balance between Ohmic resistance, water removal capacity and parasitic power is imperative for the optimal performance of metal foam based PEFCs. Superscript/Subscript Available
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available