ABSTRACT
Flow field design in PEM fuel cells has an important influence on both the power density and efficiency of fuel cell systems. In order to effectively utilize the active area, flow distribution and current density should be as homogenous as possible. In addition, pressure losses should be minimized. The main objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive study of the flow field characteristics for different parallel flow channel configurations. The investigated channel configurations are parallel with various cross-sectional configurations. For each channel configuration pressure drop, species mass fraction, velocity, and current distributions are numerically predicted. In addition, performance curves are presented and discussed. The predicted performance parameters are compared with the corresponding available experimental data. Based on the computed results the optimum channel design is selected. Detailed results are presented and discussed. The present work would help PEM fuel cell manufacturers, companies and researchers to choose the optimum configuration for their applications and products to achieve the best possible performance.