Mathematical model of the PEMFC

A two-dimensional along-the-channel mass and heat transfer model for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is described. The model is used for calculation of cell performance (i.e., cell voltage against current density), ohmic resistance and water profile in the membrane, current distribution and variation of temperature along the gas channels. The following fuel cell regions are considered: gas channels, electrode backings and active layers at the anode and cathode side, and a proton exchange membrane. The model includes mass transfer in the gas channels and electrode gas backings, water transport in the membrane, electrode kinetics and heat transfer. Temperature in the cell is assumed to vary only along the gas channels, which means that it is the same at the anode and cathode and in the solid phase at a specified value of the channel coordinate. Electrode kinetics are considered only at the cathode, where major losses occur, whereas the anode potential is assumed to be equal to its equilibrium value. An agglomerate approach is used for the description of the active layer of the cathode. Simulations are carried out for different humidities of inlet gases, several different stoichiometric amounts of reactants and cooling media (air, water) with different heat transfer coefficients. Analysis of the results showed that the best performance of the PEMFC was obtained for well-humidified gases at conditions close to isothermal and at a stoichiometry of gases only somewhat higher than that corresponding to complete reactant consumption.