Simulation of coolant flow and heat transfer in the bipolar plates of a fuel cell stack

Abstract

In today’s energy industry, fuel cells are gaining importance due to their effectiveness in producing clean energy with low emissions and their adaptability to a wide range of applications. Among the many different types of fuel cells, Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) have gained interest as an energy source for low power ranges such as passenger and light commercial vehicles, and have the potential to be used in high power applications such as regional aircraft due to their scalability. Understanding and optimising the flow characteristics and thermal management of the coolant in PEMFC is essential to improving their performance, reliability and overall efficiency. In this study, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods are used to simulate the isothermal coolant flow within the channels of the bipolar plate (BPP) in a PEMFC. The analysis examines the variation of flow patterns and parameters under different flow conditions. In addition, the heat accumulated in the cell during operation is included in a non-isothermal case of the model. The temperature distribution and heat transfer properties of the coolant are then analysed for different flow conditions. The surface temperature of the BPP is measured experimentally using a thermal camera to validate the simulation model. The results of this study will contribute to the development of more efficient coolant flow channels and can be applied to the virtual design of novel BPP geometries under different operating conditions.