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<p>Parallel flow fields are widely used in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) due to their advantage in minimizing parasitic losses. However, their low pressure drop often results in inhomogeneous reactant distribution and excessive water accumulation, which cause significant performance loss in PEMFCs. To overcome these limitations, this paper analyzed the effects of linearly varying depth of adjacent channels in parallel flow fields on PEMFC performance. We employed Z-type and U-type parallel flow fields with gradual channel depth variations on the cathode side. At 0.5&#xa0;V, current density increased by 10.27% in the Z-type flow field with a gradual decrease in channel depth, and by 14.22% in the U-type flow field with a gradual increase in channel depth. The performance improved with larger slope angles in both cases, but excessively steep slopes caused a severe pressure drop in the Z-type flow field and led to flow maldistribution in the U-type flow field. The flow analysis indicated that these behaviors resulted from a lower reactant flow rate in the shallower sub-channels compared to that in the deeper sub-channels. These results suggest that appropriate depth variation between adjacent channels can enhance the flow uniformity and the performance of PEMFCs.</p>

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Numerical Analysis of Mass Transport in PEMFCs with Linearly Varying Channel Depth in Parallel Flow Fields

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月7日

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  • Dong Kun Song,
  • Jun Geon Park,
  • Do Yeong Jung,
  • Hyeon Do Han,
  • Jonghyun Son,
  • Gu Young Cho

摘要

Parallel flow fields are widely used in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) due to their advantage in minimizing parasitic losses. However, their low pressure drop often results in inhomogeneous reactant distribution and excessive water accumulation, which cause significant performance loss in PEMFCs. To overcome these limitations, this paper analyzed the effects of linearly varying depth of adjacent channels in parallel flow fields on PEMFC performance. We employed Z-type and U-type parallel flow fields with gradual channel depth variations on the cathode side. At 0.5 V, current density increased by 10.27% in the Z-type flow field with a gradual decrease in channel depth, and by 14.22% in the U-type flow field with a gradual increase in channel depth. The performance improved with larger slope angles in both cases, but excessively steep slopes caused a severe pressure drop in the Z-type flow field and led to flow maldistribution in the U-type flow field. The flow analysis indicated that these behaviors resulted from a lower reactant flow rate in the shallower sub-channels compared to that in the deeper sub-channels. These results suggest that appropriate depth variation between adjacent channels can enhance the flow uniformity and the performance of PEMFCs.