Modeling flow distribution and pressure drop in redox flow batteries

The combination of interdigitated flow fields (IDFF) with porous electrodes offers lower pressure drop and better performance than conventional flow‐through porous electrodes in redox flow batteries. Comprehensive three‐dimensional and simplified one‐dimensional + two‐dimensional models describing flow uniformity and pressure losses within flow through, parallel, and interdigitated flow fields were developed and used to demonstrate the benefits of IDFF. Analytical solutions for IDFF that compare favorably with computational fluid dynamics quantify the trade between pressure loss and velocity maldistribution both along the channels and within the electrode. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 3746–3755, 2018     

基于框架设计的液流电池流场优化模拟研究

液流电池通常采用对角平推流流场,会形成电解液滞留区,造成电池局部浓差极化大,影响综合性能。鉴于此,提出了一种基于框架设计的流场优化方法,通过设计电极框架,可以得到“蛇形流道”和“平行流道”两类流场。以全钒液流电池为例,通过数学建模,研究了不同流场结构和参数对于多孔电极内电解液流动特性、电化学反应和温度变化特性的影响规律。计算结果与实验结果一致性良好,结果表明：电解液在“平行流场”内的流动均匀性比在“蛇形流场”内好,且不存在滞留区,同时在“平行流场”内浓差极化也较“蛇形流场”低;此外,对于同样的电极面积,在电极内部的“平行流道”越多,电解液的流速分布越均匀,反应特性越好。     

Hydrodynamic analysis of flow fields for redox flow battery applications

Electrolyte flow distribution is an important factor that contributes to the performance of the overall efficiency of a redox flow battery system. In the present paper, a comparative study of the hydrodynamics of the serpentine and interdigitated flow fields has been performed. Ex situ experiments were conducted using the two flow fields in conditions typical of flow battery applications. Limited in situ testing has also been conducted. These bring out the surprising result that the pressure drop in the interdigitated flow field is less than that in the serpentine for the same flow rate. Computational fluid dynamics studies show strong under-the-rib convection in the reaction zone exists in both flow fields but with a shorter residence time in case of the interdigitated. It is posited that this may explain the superior electrochemical performance of cells with interdigitated flow fields.     

Improvement of under-the-rib oxygen concentration and water removal in proton exchange membrane fuel cells through three-dimensional metal printed novel flow fields

The porous electrode under the rib area suffers from lower local oxygen concentration and more severe water flooding than that under the channel, which significantly affect the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. To improve the oxygen concentration and water drainage under the rib, a series of novel flow fields with auxiliary channels equipped with through-plane arrayed holes were manufactured by three-dimensional (3D) metal printing, and the cell performance, ohmic resistance and pressure drop were experimentally and numerically studied, respectively. The novel fields were based on the sophisticated modification of traditional serpentine and parallel flow fields, that significantly improved the cell performance at high current density with an optimal number or length of the auxiliary channels, owing to the trade-off between the electric resistance and mass transfer under the rib. This novel flow field design solved the trilemma of performance, pressure drop and manufacture feasibility through the implementation of 3D printing technology.     

液流电池流场结构设计与优化研究进展

液流电池结构设计与优化研究是改善电池内部电解液流动性能、提高电堆功率密度和可靠性的重要途径之一。在石墨板上设计并行、交指和蛇形等流道是液流电池使用的传统流道结构,其缺点为流道种类单一、石墨板成本高及机械性能差。为了克服上述缺点,波纹状并行、分离式蛇形、螺旋形等新型流道,在电极上构建流道、引入独立的流道部件、环形与梯形等异形结构等先后被提出。本文从双极板、电极上的结构设计和异形结构设计与优化三方面系统综述了近年来液流电池结构设计与优化研究进展,阐释流场结构等对电池性能的影响机制及其与电池运行、装配间的适配规律,并提出进一步改善电池性能并适合普及应用的流场结构形式。     

Modelling of performance of PEM fuel cells with conventional and interdigitated flow fields

A simple mathematical model is developed to investigate the superiority of the interdigitated flow field design over the conventional one, especially in terms of maximum power density. Darcy's equation for porous media and the standard diffusion equation with effective diffusivity are used in the gas diffuser, and a coupled boundary condition given by the Butler–Volmer equation is used at the catalyst layer interface. The performance of PEM fuel cells with a conventional flow field and an interdigitated flow field is studied with other appropriate boundary conditions. The theoretical results show that the limiting current density of a fuel cell with an interdigitated flow field is about three times the current density of a fuel cell with a conventional flow field. The results also demonstrate that the interdigitated flow field design can double the maximum power density of a PEM fuel cell. The modelling results compared well with experimental data in the literature.     

Experimental and Numerical Study of Serpentine Flow Fields for Improving Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Performance

Methanol crossover is an important issue as it affects direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) performance. But it may be controlled by selecting a proper flow field design. Experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of single, double and triple serpentine flow field configurations on a DMFC with a 25 cm² membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with a constant open ratio. A three dimensional model was also developed for the anode of the DMFC to predict methanol concentration and cell current density distributions. Experimental and model results show that at lower methanol concentrations (0.25–0.5M), single serpentine flow field (SSFF) provides high peak power density, while a double serpentine flow field (DSFF) gives high peak power density at a high methanol concentration (1–2M). Single and double serpentine flow fields exhibit the same peak power density (33 mW cm⁻²) at 1M. But the cell efficiency of double serpentine flow field is 12.5% which is 3.5% point greater than single serpentine flow field. This is attributed to reduced mixed potential. triple serpentine flow field (TSFF) shows the lowest peak power density and cell efficiency, which is attributed to high mass transfer resistance.     

常规流场和交指型流场的质子交换膜燃料电池传热传质三维模拟

针对常规流场和交指型流场的质子交换膜燃料电池提出了三维非等温数学模型。模型详细考虑了电池内部的传热、传质和电化学反应，重点考察了多孔介质内的组分传递和膜内水的电渗和扩散作用，对氧气传递限制和膜内水迁移对电池性能的影响进行了分析和讨论。结果表明，流道的交指型设计加强了气体在多孔介质内的质量传递，提高了电池的输出性能，但相应地，阴极催化层界面水分的减少也使得膜的水合程度降低，这就需要更有效的水管理来防止膜脱水。     

A computationally-cost effective model for fluid flow in redox flow batteries

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) hold great potential for large-scale, extended-duration stationary energy storage. Here, a novel computationally cost-effective hydraulic-electrical analogous model (HEAM) for fluid flow in RFBs is developed. The HEAM demonstrated that lowering the electrode compression and enhancing the channel area lowers the pump power loss independent of the flow fields and electrodes. Additionally, the HEAM helped elucidate the deficiencies of flow distribution in interdigitated flow fields (IFFs) and suggested designing wider manifolds and/or shorter channels improve the flow distribution. Moreover, the HEAM suggested shallower and/or wider channels, and more permeable electrodes enhance the flow penetration rate above the channels. Finally, the HEAM showed that the average penetration depth in the electrode above the ribs (h_pen) was the critical parameter in the fluid-flow modeling of IFFs and was inversely proportional to the permeability. Hence, there is a trade-off between the pump power loss and h_pen when configuring electrode permeability.     

Flow‐Field Designs of Bipolar Plates in PEM Fuel Cells: Theory and Applications

A generalized model developed by Wang was modified for flow field designs of the most common layout configurations with U‐type arrangement, including single serpentine, multiple serpentine, straight parallel, and interdigitated configurations. A direct and quantitative relationship was established among flow distribution, pressure drop, configurations, structures, and flow conditions. The model was used for a direct, systematic, and quantitative comparison of flow distributions and pressure drops among the most common layout configurations of interest. The straight parallel configuration had the lowest pressure drops but suffered the most possibility of the uneven flow distribution across the channels. The single serpentine had the best flow distribution but had the highest pressure drops. The flow distribution and the pressure drop in the multiple serpentine was between the straight parallel and the single serpentine. Finally, we suggested basic criteria of the flow field designs of bipolar plates for the industrial applications. This provides a practical guideline to evaluate how far a fuel cell is from design operating conditions, and measures how to improve flow distribution and pressure drop.     

Effect of direct liquid water injection and interdigitated flow field on the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Proper water management is vital to ensuring successful performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The effectiveness of the direct liquid water injection scheme and the interdigitated flow field design towards providing adequate gas humidification to maintain membrane optimal hydration and alleviating the mass transport limitations of the reactants and electrode flooding is investigated. It is found that the direct liquid water injection used in conjunction with the interdigitated flow fields as a humidification technique is an extremely effective method of water management. The forced flow-through-the-electrode characteristic of the interdigitated flow field (1) provides higher transport rates of reactant and products to and from the inner catalyst layers, (2) increases the hydration state and conductivity of the membrane by bringing its anode/membrane interface in direct contact with liquid water and (3) increases the cell tolerance limits for excess injected liquid water, which could be used to provide simultaneous evaporative cooling. Experimental results show substantial improvements in performance as a result of these improvements.     

采用不同流场的质子交换膜燃料电池内部传递现象模拟

A numerical model for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is developed, which can simulate such basic transport phenomena as gas-liquid two-phase flow in a working fuel cell. Boundary conditions for both the conventional and the interdigitated modes of flow are presented on a three-dimensional basis. Numerical techniques for this model are discussed in detail. Validation shows good agreement between simulating results and experimental data. Furthermore, internal transport phenomena are discussed and compared for PEM fuel cells with conventional and interdigitated flows. It is found that the dead-ended structure of an interdigitated flow does increase the oxygen mass fraction and decrease the liquid water saturation in the gas diffusion layer as compared to the conventional mode of flow. However, the cathode humidification is important for an interdigitated flow to acquire better performance than a conventional flow fuel cell.     

Single and two-phase pressure drop in serpentine mini-channels

The pressure differential of single and two-phase flow in mini-channel serpentine geometries was investigated to determine the effects of flow patterns and radius of curvature of the serpentine on pressure drop. The friction factor for single phase flow through a straight channel was comparable to existing literature, while that in the serpentine geometry fell between conventional theory for straight channels and fully developed flow in helical coils. Extension of the single phase results to two-phase flow using a separated flow model led to the development of empirical correlations for two-phase pressure drop in the straight and serpentine configurations. Five operating regions were identified within the serpentine, each with distinct pressure drop characteristics dependent on the flow pattern and extent of bubble deformation. Two of the operating regions corresponded to bubbly and slug/unstable-annular flow, while the boundaries between the three remaining regions occurred at We_LGL_C = 2.7 and 15.5; corresponding to the onset of mild cap deformation and continuous bubble breakup, respectively.     

Flow and heat transfer in serpentine channels

Serpentine channels are often used in microchannel reactors and heat exchangers. These channels offer better mixing, higher heat and mass‐transfer coefficients than straight channels. In the present work, flow and heat transfer experiments were carried out with a serpentine channel plate comprising of 10 units (single unit dimensions: 1 × 1.5 mm² in cross section, length 46.28 mm, D_h 1.2 mm) in series. Pressure drop and heat‐transfer coefficients were experimentally measured. Flow and heat transfer in the experimental set‐up were simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to understand the mechanisms responsible for performance enhancement. The CFD methodology, thus, developed was applied to understand the effect of various geometrical parameters on heat transfer enhancement. A criterion was defined for evaluation of heat transfer performance (heat transfer per unit pumping power), thus, ensuring due considerations to required pumping power. The effect of geometrical parameters and the corresponding mechanisms contributing for enhancement are discussed briefly. Based on the results, a design map comprising different serpentine channels showing heat transfer enhancement with pumping power was developed for Reynolds number of 200 which will be useful for further work on flow and heat transfer in serpentine channels. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1814–1827, 2013     

蛇形微通道内泄漏流特性

微流体系统通常具备极大的比表面积、易于控制等优势,在气-液相传质、传热、反应等方面具有良好的应用前景。本文考察了6个气液相体系在矩形截面蛇形微通道中的气液两相泰勒流流动情况以及气泡和液弹的动态行为,以气泡截面形状的几何模型为基础,得到了微通道中净泄漏流的量化方程。同时发现在较大的操作区间内,蛇形微通道对泄漏流的可控性优于直形微通道。并且详细分析了不同气液相流量、液相物性（表面张力和黏度）和气泡长度对蛇形微通道主通道净泄漏流的具体影响。     

Computer aided fuel cell design and scale-up,comparison between model and experimental results

The present work illustrates the employment of an Automatic Scale-up Algorithm (ASA) to design a 200 cm² multiple serpentine (MS) flow field for a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC). With a fixed fuel cell active area and total pressure drop, the algorithm provides the flow-field design solution characterized by a specific set of parameters including channel width, rib width, channel height, covering factor, number of switchbacks, Reynolds number and pressure drop. It is known that a correlation exists between the mass flow passing through the electrode and the pressure drop, influencing the fuel cell performance. A pressure drop range from 5 to 45 kPa with steps of 5 kPa has been investigated. Numerical simulations performed on each geometry set have permitted a comparison of the flow-field total pressure drop with the analytical compressible calculation, and to evaluate the mass flow rate passing through the electrode and in the flow field channels separately. A comparison between ASA and CFD results has highlighted that the methodology is able to find a flow-field geometry that matches target geometrical and fluid dynamic requirements. A better agreement between the Automatic Scale-up Algorithm and direct CFD pressure drop calculation has been obtained taking into account the gas compressibility effects. The increase of the mass flow rate vs flow-field total pressure drop is also reported. A better understanding of the gas shorting phenomenon has been achieved by CFD post-processing, in terms of gas velocity profiles and pressure drop between adjacent channels. Since the gas shorting is a pressure driven effect, the total mass flow rate percentage passing through the porous backing has been related to the shorting velocity and geometrical parameters of the porous backing; moreover proportionality between “shorting” pressure drop and ratio of flow field total pressure drop and switchback number has been highlighted.     

Three Dimensional Model of a High Temperature PEMFC. Study of the Flow Field Effect on Performance

A three‐dimensional isothermal model of a high temperature polymer membrane fuel cell equipped with polybenzimidazole membrane is described. All major transport phenomena were taken into account except the species crossover through the membrane. The cathode catalyst layer was treated as spherical catalyst agglomerates with porous inter‐agglomerate spaces. The inter‐agglomerate spaces were filled with a mixture of electrolyte (hot phosphoric acid) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This approach proved to be an essential requirement for accurate simulation. In this particular paper, the influence of different flow field designs and dimensions on performance was intensely study. Traditional configurations were tested (straight, serpentine, pin‐in, and interdigitated), and new designs were proposed. With these new designs, we tried to maximize performance by providing homogeneous reactants distribution over the active area keeping low‐pressure drop and relatively high velocity. The dimension and position of the inlet and outlet manifolds were also analyzed. From the obtained results a massive influence of the manifolds position and dimension on performance was observed. This fact can provide important guidelines for future bipolar plates optimization.     

Non-isothermal effects of single or double serpentine proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Mathematical models on transport processes and reactions in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell generally assume an isothermal cell behavior for sake of simplicity. This work aims at exploring how a non-isothermal cell body affects the performance of PEM fuel cells with single and double serpentine cathode flow fields, considering the effects of flow channel cross-sectional areas. Low thermal conductivities of porous layers in the cell and low heat transfer coefficients at the surface of current collectors, as commonly adopted in cell design, increase the cell temperature. High cell temperature evaporates fast the liquid water, hence reducing the cathode flooding; however, the yielded low membrane water content reduces proton transport rate, thereby increasing ohmic resistance of membrane. An optimal cell temperature is presented to maximize the cell performance.     

Influence of bio-inspired flow channel designs on the performance of a PEM fuel cell

Performance of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC) is appreciably affected by the channel geometry. The branching structure of a plant leaf and human lung is an efficient network to distribute the nutrients in the respective systems. The same nutrient transport system can be mimicked in the flow channel design of a PEMFC, to aid even reactant distribution and better water management. In this work, the effect of bio-inspired flow field designs such as lung and leaf channel design bipolar plates, on the performance of a PEMFC was examined experimentally at various operating conditions. A PEMFC of 49 cm~2 area, with a Nafion 212 membrane with a 40% catalyst loading of 0.4 mg·cm-2 on the anode side and also 0.6 mg·cm~(-2) on the cathode side is assembled by incorporating the bio-inspired channel bipolar plate, and was tested on a programmable fuel-cell test station.The impact of the working parameters like reactants' relative humidity(RH), back pressure and fuel cell temperature on the performance of the fuel cell was examined; the operating pressure remains constant at 0.1 MPa. It was observed that the best performance was attained at a back pressure of 0.3 MPa, 75 °C operating temperature and 100% RH. The three flow channels were also compared at different operating pressures ranging from 0.1 MPa to 0.3 MPa, and the other parameters such as operating temperature, RH and back pressure were set as 75 °C,100% and 0.3 MPa. The experimental outcomes of the PEMFC with bio-inspired channels were compared with the experimental results of a conventional triple serpentine flow field. It was observed that among the different flow channel designs considered, the leaf channel design gives the best output in terms of power density. Further,the experimental results of the leaf channel design were compared with those of the interdigitated leaf channel design. The PEMFC with the interdigitated leaf channel design was found to generate 6.72% more power density than the non-interdigitated leaf channel design. The fuel cell with interdigitated leaf channel design generated5.58% more net power density than the fuel cell with non-interdigitated leaf channel design after considering the parasitic losses.     

蛇纹石尾矿固体废弃物资源化的途径

蛇纹石尾矿是蛇纹石开采、利用过程中产生的固体废弃物,是我国排放量较大的矿业固体废弃物之一,也是可回收利用的二次资源。本文介绍了蛇纹石尾矿对环境的危害,分析了蛇纹石尾矿的物理化学性质,总结出资源化利用的途径。