Numerical simulation of gas liquid two-phase flow in anode channel of low-temperature fuel cells

In this study, the gas liquid two-phase flow of low-temperature fuel cells is simulated to study the water removal process in the anode channel utilizing VOF (volume of fluid) method. It is found that the water removal process in the cathode channel is easier compared to that in the anode under the same operating condition and inlet velocity. Increasing the humidification rate and contact angle is helpful for water removal. Moreover, further simulations show that in the semicircle-U channel, the water can be removed successfully, but it will be stuck in the corner in the rectangular-U channel, which can be prevented by changing the contact angle of specific walls into extremely hydrophilic or hydrophobic. Extremely hydrophilic wall would make the entire water pave on the wall and smash into little droplets which is not only helpful in water removal and evaporation but also prevents the water from blocking the holes on the Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL). And different hydrophilic/hydrophobic levels also influence the water removal. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.