Numerical analysis of the influence of flow direction on heat distribution performance of a PEM fuel cell with serpentine flow field deign

The distribution of reactive species in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) influences the overall performance of the fuel cell in terms of current density, temperature, and water distribution. The flow field configuration and flow direction of the reacting gas influence's the distribution and reac-tion rates of the fuel and oxidant. In this work, the serpentine flow field is numerically investigated to determine the influence of the flow direction of reactant gas on the distribution of reactant gas and heat transfer within the fuel cell. The three-dimensional fuel cell model is used to analyze the effect of the flow direction on the fuel cell performance. The temperature distribution is improved for the counter flow. The current density is increased for the counter flow compared to the co-flow. The current density is increased at the lower values of the terminal voltage which could be due to the oxygen molar concentra-tion at the cathode end.Copyright (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Confer-ence on Thermal Analysis and Energy Systems 2021.