Development of a novel pseudo bipolar piezoelectric proton exchange membrane fuel cell with nozzle and diffuser

Previous studies of a piezoelectric proton exchange membrane fuel cell with nozzle and diffuser (PZT-PEMFC-ND) have shown that a PZT device could solve the cathode flooding problems and improve cell performance. In this study, an innovative design for a PZT-PEMFC-ND bi-cell with pseudo bipolar electrodes is developed to achieve a higher power in the stack design to solve water-flooding problems and improve cell performance. This new design, with a reaction area of 8 cm(2), contains two cells with two outside anodes and two inside cathodes that share a common PZT vibrating device for pumping air flow. The influence of the varying aspect ratio (AR) of the diffuser elements on the unit cell-flow rate is investigated using a three-dimensional transitional model. The simulation results show that a proper AR value of 11.25 for the diffuser, with a smaller diffuser angle of 5 degrees, could ensure a smoother intake of the air and, thus, better cell performance. The experimental results show that the performance of the PZT-PEMFC-ND bi-cell can be 1.6 times greater than that of the single cell. (c) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.