The effect of channel width on biometric flow field towards performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

In this paper, we apply a biometric flow field design, not just as an attractive design, but also as a promising concept, that provides high electrical performance, with low-pressure drop. The purpose of this study was to study the effect of the channel width of biometric flow fields on the performance of the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell. Numerical simulations have been done using Ansys Fluent software. 9-layer 3D model has been made with 25 cm² active cell area. Biometric flow fields are used on the cathode side and apply Murray Law as a reference, while the anode side uses a single serpentine flow field. Channel width varies by 1 mm; 1.25 mm; and 1.5 mm. The results show that the 1.25 mm channel width produces higher current density and lower pressure drop than other width at low to medium voltage. When compared to conventional flow fields, biometric flow field designs can produce higher power density up to 22%.