NON PRISMATIC AIR-BREATHING FUEL CELLS - CONCEPT, DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING

This paper details the research into Axis Symmetric Architecture (ASA) Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells, which are fuel cells that possess a non-prismatic cylindrical architecture as compared to the traditional flat plate designs. The paper elucidates the advantages on the ASA designs versus flat plate designs, including increased fuel flow characteristics, reduced sealing area, reduced weight characteristics and increased power densities (power/weight ratios). Finite element analysis will show improvements to flow characteristics on both the cathode and anode side along with a study of the flow channel cross-sections. The ASA design facilitates natural convective flow to promote improved reactant availability and the prototypes created show the ease of manufacture and assembly. ASA's unlike traditional fuel cells do not require bulky clamping plates and extensive fastening mechanisms and hence lead to prototypes with reduced size, weight and cost.