A computational fluid dynamics analysis of heat transfer in an air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell with transient boundary conditions

Turbulence-inducing grids can enhance heat transfer in air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cells and help to increase the fuel cell performance. In this computational fluid dynamics analysis, the distance between the turbulence grid and the cathode inlet was first varied, and then a transient sinusoidal inlet velocity around the previously investigated steady-state inlet velocity was applied because the heat transfer coefficient is known to increase in pulsating flow. Results indicate that the best distance between the grid and the cathode inlet is the closest at 2.5 mm which is in good agreement with prior experiments. The transient effects are small but show an additional cooling effect.