Optimization Oxygen and Hydrogen Input Velocities by Golden Section Method with 3D Multifluid Model in COMSOL for PEMFCs

A three dimensional (3D), gas-liquid multi-phase flow and transport model in COMSOL Multiphysics has been developed to simulate flow and transport phenomena in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with several operational parameters. The effects of changes in oxygen and hydrogen input velocities on concentration change at electrodes, current density in polymeric membrane and cell performance have been investigated in PEMFC. The simulations, made in COMSOL for numerical method, were presented with an emphasis on the physical and fundamental insight afforded by distributions of velocity vector, local current density, overpotential, oxygen and water concentrations. Using Golden Section Method, optimization of the change in the speed vector was made based on the numerical models for velocity values. Results showed that computational and numerical methods are in great harmony. The polarization curve, which is used as a measure of efficiency in cell performance, were supportive with results. The data show that the power density obtained for the optimum model is higher, with such a model performance of 92.87%. Compared to the currently used PEMFC, while hydrogen saving achieved between 4.2% and 7.1%, electrical efficiency increase were between 1% and 2.4%.