Three-dimensional complete mathematical model for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell

A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with serpentine flow fields was presented by taking into account the catalyst layer with agglomerate structures. The three-dimensional governing equations of continuity, momentum and species concentrations coupled mass source/sink terms were solved by a CFD software-Fluent 6.0, an over computational domain, which consist of gas channels, gas diffusion layers, and catalyst layers for both the anode and the cathode as well as the solid polymer membrane. The model was validated by the good agreement between predicted results and the experimental data available in the literature, demonstrating the necessity of incorporating the catalyst layer into PEMFC models. Simulation results also revealed that the spatial distributions of basic working parameters (gas velocity, species concentrations and current density) were highly dependent on permeability of the gas diffusion layer, which was critical to the performance of a PEMFC.