Two-phase flow pressure drop hysteresis in an operating proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Two-phase flow pressure drop hysteresis was studied in an operating PEM fuel cell. The variables studied include air stoichiometry (1,5, 2,3,4), temperature (50,75,90 degrees C), and the inclusion of a microporous layer. The cathode channel pressure drops can differ in PEM fuel cells when the current density is increased along a path and then decreased along the same path (pressure drop hysteresis). Generally, the descending pressure drop is greater than the ascending pressure drop at low current densities (<200 mA cm(-2)), and the effect is worse at low stoichiometries and low temperatures. The results show that the hysteresis occurs with or without the inclusion of a microporous layer. Initial results show a modified Lockhart-Martinelli approach seems to be able to predict the two-phase flow pressure drop during the ascending path. The results compare well with photographs taken from the cathode flow field channel of a visualization cell. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.