The effect of PEMFC trapezoidal channel wall contact angle on water removal characteristics is investigated with the volume of fluid (VOF) method. Two different contact angles 60 and 90 degrees are selected. In the case of the side and top wall contact angle of 60 degrees, stable semi-spherical droplets move along the top wall slowly. In contrast, complex shaped droplets move along the lower edge in the case of 90 degrees. Moreover, it is shown that very complex interaction patterns between different droplets which introduced into the channel at different times.

본 연구에서는 연료극 또는 공기극에 함유된 불순물인 황화합물의 도입을 차단할 수 있는 GDL을 제조하여, 이를 평가용 단위전지에 체결하여 H2S와 SO2를 연료극과 공기극에 각각 동시에 공급하여 PEMFC의 성능 저하 및 회복에 관한 연구를 수행하였다. 그 결과 H2S와 SO2의 농도가 증가함에 따라 전지의 성능이 감소하며 특히 10 ppm 이상의 농도에서는 10분 이내에 약 10-15% 정도 성능이 감소하였다. 특히 GDL 표면의 기공이 없는 CN-2 GDL을 체결한 단위전지의 경우 피독에 의한 성능 감소 속도가 더 빠른 것을 확인하였다. 그리고 단위전지 피독 후 황화합물이 혼합되지 않은 순수 가스를 1시간 이상 공급하였을 때 전지의 성능이 GDL의 종류에 따라 90%에서 95% 이상 회복되며 CN-1 GDL의 경우가 가장 회복이 우수하였다.

A numerical analysis was performed to study PEMFC characteristics depending on GDL porosity and the inlet direction in cathode gas channel using the FLUENT. As GDL porosity increases, temperature increases. For the both of co-flow and counter-flow cases, temperature is higher near the hydrogen inlet region where the chemical reaction rate is high. As GDL porosity increases, current density increases. In overall, counter-flow case gives higher current density compared to co-flow case for the same operating conditions. However, the difference in the current density is not high. The water mass fraction is also higher near the hydrogen inlet region due to the chemical reaction rate for the both of co-flow and counter-flow cases.

In this paper, the PEMFC performance was studied using three dimensional numerical analysis. The effect of GDL porosity and cathode inlet humidity on the cell polarization curve was analyzed. The GDL porosity of 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and cathode inlet humidity of 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 percent were selected as simulation cases while the anode inlet humidity was maintained as 100 percent. For a constant cell voltage condition, the highest current density was obtained at GDL porosity of 0.7 and cathode inlet humidity of 20 percent. As GDL porosity increases, the amount of hydrogen diffusion to membrane from the anode increases and chemical reaction also increases. As cathode inlet humidity decreases, oxygen mass fraction of cathode gas channel increases and chemical reaction also increases.