Applied Chemistry for Engineering (공업화학)

The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (한국공업화학회)
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A Numerical Study of Cathode Block and Air Flow Rate Effect on PEMFC Performance

고분자전해질 연료전지의 환원극 블록과 공기 유량 영향에 대한 전산 해석 연구

  • Jo, Seonghun (School of Chemical Engineering, University of Ulsan) ;
  • Kim, Junbom (School of Chemical Engineering, University of Ulsan)
  • Received : 2022.01.05
  • Accepted : 2022.01.20
  • Published : 2022.02.10
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Abstract

Reactants of PEMFC are hydrogen and oxygen in gas phases and fuel cell overpotential could be reduced when reactants are smoothly transported. Numerous studies to modify cathode flow field design have been conducted because oxygen mass transfer in high current density region is dominant voltage loss factor. Among those cathode flow field designs, a block in flow field is used to forced supply reactant gas to porous gas diffusion layer. In this study, the block was installed on a simple fuel cell model. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), effects of forced convection due to blocks on a polarization curve and local current density contour were studied when different air flow rates were supplied. The high current density could be achieved even with low air supply rate due to forced convection to a gas diffusion layer and also with multiple blocks in series compared to a single block due to an increase of forced convection effect.

고분자전해질막 연료전지의 반응물인 수소와 산소는 기체 상태이므로, 반응물이 원활히 전달될수록 작동 전압의 손실을 줄일 수 있다. 높은 전류밀도 영역에서 산소 물질 전달이 전압 손실을 좌우하므로, 환원극 유로의 형상 변경에 대한 연구들이 진행되어 왔다. 환원극 유로 형상 중에서 유로를 막는 블록은 반응물을 다공성 매질인 기체확산층으로 강제 대류 하도록 사용되었다. 본 연구에서는 간단한 단 채널의 연료전지 모델에 블록을 배치하였다. 전산 유체역학을 사용하였고, 공기 공급 유량을 달리하였을 때 블록으로 인한 강제 대류 효과가 전압-전류 곡선과 국부 전류 밀도에 대한 영향을 연구하였다. 기체확산층으로의 강제 대류 현상을 통하여 적은 공기 공급 유량으로도 높은 전류 밀도를 얻을 수 있었다. 다수의 블록을 직렬로 배치한 경우에 1개의 블록만 배치한 것보다 강제 대류 효과를 증가시켜 높은 전류밀도를 얻을 수 있었다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

이 논문은 2020년 울산대학교 연구비에 의하여 연구되었음.

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