Analysis of reactant transport and pressure drop in a PEM fuel cell cathode with partially blocked flow channel

In this study, the geometrical changes at cathode electrode in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell has been considered by inserting baffle plates across the channel. The effects of the blockage with various gap ratios, shape, thickness and numbers of the baffle plates, and the porosity of the diffusion layer on the oxygen transport and the pressure drop across the channel length are explored. It is revealed that partially blocked oxygen channel with rectangular baffle has the most velocity and oxygen concentration in the gas diffusion layer/catalyst layer interface than that of the other shape of plates; however results in a penalty of high pressure-loss. Increasing the porosity of gas diffusion layer (GDL), baffle plate thickness and baffle number and/or reducing the gap size in order to enhance the reactant gas transport result in pressure loss. Here, among the parameters considered, the porosity of GDL, gap ratio and plate number have the most remarkable impact on the oxygen transport to GDL and variation in pressure drop.