Effects of Combined Baffles on the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance

The structural optimization of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) flow channel can significantly enhance the mass transfer of the reactant gas and improve PEMFC output performance. In this work, a three-dimensional PEMFC geometry model was developed. The effects of baffle shapes on the mass transfer of reactant gas and output performance of PEMFC were investigated by adding three kinds of conventional baffles and six kinds of combined baffles in the flow channel. The results are as follows: The baffles added in the flow channel could increase the pressure drop, enhance the mass transfer of the reactant gas, and significantly increase the reactant gas concentration in the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and the current density in the membrane. When the operating voltage was 0.45 V, the current density and power density of PEMFC with combined It-Re baffles were 2.346 A center dot cm(-2) and 1.056 W center dot cm(-2), respectively, and both improved by 21.8 % compared with that without baffles.