Chemical reacting transport phenomena in a PEM fuel cell

A three-dimensional mathematical model for the PEM fuel cell including gas channel has been developed to simulate fuel cell performance. A set of conservation equations and species concentration equations are solved numerically in a coupled gas channel and porous media domain using the vorticity–velocity method with power law scheme. Detailed development of axial velocity and secondary flow fields are presented at various axial locations. Polarization curves are demonstrated by solving the equations for electrochemical reactions and the membrane phase potential. Compared with experimental data from published literatures, numerical results of this model agree closely with experimental results.