Performance comparison of bio-inspired flow field designs for direct methanol fuel cell and proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Bipolar flow channel plate design, which is a key component and performance qualifier of fuel cells, is an extensively investigated area. Recently, bio-inspired flow fields (FFs) have been designed to increase the overall performance as an alternative to traditional FFs. In the present study, performance evaluation of the various bio-inspired FFs was carried out in PEM fuel cell and direct methanol fuel cell modes. The effects of the main performance characteristics including the clamping force of the short stack assembly, air flow rate, and operating temperature on the cell power were investigated for both PEMFC and DMFC modes. The highest performance output was ensured with the Morus leaf-inspired FF (MLFF) at PEMFC mode at 55 °C with a peak power density of 313 mW/cm2. Besides, the highest performance for DMFC mode was achieved at 35.8 mW/cm2 with the Ficus Carica leaf-inspired FF (FCLFF).