Enhancing PEM fuel cell performance through active-area aspect-ratio modification in metallic-foam flow-fields for hydrogen energy systems
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, cilt.270, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 270
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.157130
- Dergi Adı: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Artic & Antarctic Regions, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, Environment Index, INSPEC, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Aspect-ratio, Computational fluid dynamics, Mass transport, Metallic-foam flow-field, Proton exchange membrane fuel cell, Reactant distribution
- Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Metallic-foam flow-fields in PEM fuel cells offer enhanced reactant transport compared with conventional rib–channel configurations; however, reactant starvation in underutilized concave regions can still limit their performance. In this study, a modified metallic-foam flow-field design based on active-area aspect-ratio variation is proposed to improve reactant distribution toward the concave corners while maintaining a constant active-area with homogeneous foam properties. Numerical simulations are conducted for a U-type flow-field with aspect-ratios (AR) ranging from 1 to 2.5. Increasing the aspect-ratio improves in-plane reactant distribution and oxygen delivery to underutilized concave corners. Compared with the baseline (AR = 1), the AR = 2.5 configuration increases cell voltage in the activation-, ohmic-, and concentration-loss regions by approximately 8.66%, 26.76%, and 97.37%, respectively. The pronounced improvement in the concentration-loss region demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach in mitigating mass-transport losses at high current densities.