Numerical analysis on thermal performance of cooling plates with wavy channels in PEM fuel cells

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the thermal performance of the cooling plates with conventional straight channel and wavy channel designs. Design/methodology/approach A three-dimensional model involving coupled fluid flow and heat transfer processes is developed to study the thermal performance of the cooling plates. The effects of wavelength and amplitude on the cooling performance are also studied. In addition, two novel wavy channels with varying wavelength are proposed and investigated. Findings The simulated results are compared in terms of pressure drop, average temperature, maximum surface temperature, temperature difference between the maximum temperature and minimum temperature and surface temperature uniformity index. It is concluded that the cooling performance is significantly improved by the wavy channel. Practical implications The current study can improve the understanding of transport characterization of the cooling plates with wavy channel design and provide guidelines for the design of cooling plates. Originality/value The design of cooling plates with wavy channels can be used in proton exchange membrane fuel cells to improve the cooling performance.