Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society (한국수소및신에너지학회논문집)

The Korean Hydrogen and New Energy Society (한국수소및신에너지학회)
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A Study on Oxygen Diffusion Characteristics According to Changes in Flow Field Shape of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Metallic Bipolar Plate for Building

건물용 고분자 전해질 연료전지 금속분리판 유동장 형상 변화에 따른 산소 확산 특성에 대한 연구

  • PARK, DONGHWAN (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University Graduate School) ;
  • SOHN, YOUNG-JUN (Fuel Cell Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research) ;
  • CHOI, YOON-YOUNG (Fuel Cell Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research) ;
  • KIM, MINJIN (Fuel Cell Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research) ;
  • HONG, JONGSUP (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University Graduate School)
  • 박동환 (연세대학교 대학원 기계공학부) ;
  • 손영준 (한국에너지기술연구원 연료전지연구실) ;
  • 최윤영 (한국에너지기술연구원 연료전지연구실) ;
  • 김민진 (한국에너지기술연구원 연료전지연구실) ;
  • 홍종섭 (연세대학교 대학원 기계공학부)
  • Received : 2021.07.27
  • Accepted : 2021.08.25
  • Published : 2021.08.30
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Abstract

Various studies about metallic bipolar plates have been conducted to improve fuel cell performance through flow field design optimization. These research works have been mainly focused on fuel cells for vehicle, but not fuel cells for building. In order to reduce the price and volume of fuel cell stacks for building, it is necessary to apply a metallic flow field, In this study, for a metallic flow field applied to a fuel cell for building, the effect of a change in the flow field shape on the performance of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell was confirmed using a model and experiments with a down-sizing single cell. As a result, the flow field using a metal foam outperforms the channel type flow field because it has higher internal differential pressure and higher reactants velocity in gas diffusion layer, resulting in higher water removal and higher oxygen concentration in the catalyst layer than the channel type flow field. This study is expected to contribute to providing basic data for selecting the optimal flow field for the full stack of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells for buildings.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

본 연구는 2021년도 산업통상자원부의 재원으로 한국에너지기술평가원(KETEP)의 지원을 받아 수행한 연구 과제이다(No. 20203040030090).

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