Water Management Diagnostics of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract

A final finding is that surface defects in the flow field impact the water distribution pattern. To the author's knowledge, this is the first time the importance of flow field surface quality is considered, and its impact is found to be profound. In our system we find that defects act as 'sticking' points on the flow channel bottom, creating water waves that do not exhaust from the fuel cell. These stuck waves increase the pressure drop within the fuel cell, as well as reducing its freeze resistance, catalyst stability, and stack stability.