Performance investigation of novel zigzag flow field in PEMFC with metal bipolar plates considering cooling flow channels

A PEM fuel cell (PEMFC) configuration with a novel zigzag flow field (NZFF) utilizing metal bipolar plates considering cooling flow channels is proposed, aimed at enhancing mass transfer and optimizing heat dissipation. The effects of the number of turns, flow strategies, and operating pressures on the performance of PEMFC equipped with the NFZZ are qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The results indicated that compared with the parallel flow field (PFF), with an increase in the number of turns, although accompanied by an increase in the pressure drop, the distribution of the low oxygen concentration areas in the NZFF is more dispersed and the uniformity of oxygen, temperature, and current density distributions are enhanced, and the drainage capacity of PEMFC is also correspondingly improved. In addition, among the different cooling strategies examined, the cross-flow of the coolant (CFC) strategy is found to be the most effective, which reduces the high-temperature area and obtains a more uniform temperature distribution, with the minimum oxygen non-uniformity value of 0.0021 in comparison with the strategies of the same flow direction of the coolant and hydrogen (SCH) and the same flow direction of the coolant and oxygen (SCO). Finally, an increase in operating pressure from 1.0 atm to 2.0 atm results in a gradual increase in the water content within the PEM, while the current density increases from 1.068 A/cm2 to 1.451 A/cm2, an increase of 35.9%. Simultaneously, the reductions in both anode and cathode pressure drops and inlet velocities, and an overall enhancement in net power output.