A two phase nonisothermal 3D unsteady model is used to study the transients at start-up of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. The model is used to simulate start-up under different starting or initial conditions. The objective is to study the transient behavior of current and the phenomena affecting it. The transient current density obtained from simulation under purged and inflow/equilibrium initial conditions are plotted. The saturation and the temperature profile evolution within the gas diffusion layer under different conditions are also studied. The effect of gas diffusion layer thickness and reaction rate on the current density evolution is analyzed. It is found that the transient current density depends on the initial condition. Mass transport is the major phenomenon influencing the current density profile, and the mass transport transients are found to be subsecond in nature. The consumption and transport time scales are seen to affect the current undershoot at high loads. The liquid water evolution and distribution behaves very differently, under different initial conditions, as well as different inflow conditions. However, the total time taken by liquid water and temperature to reach steady state for different initial conditions is very close. It is also seen that the temperature transient is less than the liquid water transient, overall.
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April 2010
This article was originally published in
Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology
Research Papers
Exploring Transient Behavior at Startup of a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell
Bikash Mishra,
Bikash Mishra
Center for Computational Sciences,
e-mail: mishra.ccs@gmail.com
Mississippi State University
, P.O. Box 9627, Mississippi State, MS 39762-9627
Search for other works by this author on:
Junxiao Wu
Junxiao Wu
Center for Computational Sciences,
Mississippi State University
, P.O. Box 9627, Mississippi State, MS 39762-9627
Search for other works by this author on:
Bikash Mishra
Center for Computational Sciences,
Mississippi State University
, P.O. Box 9627, Mississippi State, MS 39762-9627e-mail: mishra.ccs@gmail.com
Junxiao Wu
Center for Computational Sciences,
Mississippi State University
, P.O. Box 9627, Mississippi State, MS 39762-9627J. Fuel Cell Sci. Technol. Apr 2010, 7(2): 021004 (14 pages)
Published Online: January 5, 2010
Article history
Received:
January 25, 2008
Revised:
June 9, 2009
Online:
January 5, 2010
Published:
January 5, 2010
Citation
Mishra, B., and Wu, J. (January 5, 2010). "Exploring Transient Behavior at Startup of a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell." ASME. J. Fuel Cell Sci. Technol. April 2010; 7(2): 021004. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3206968
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