Computational Modeling of the Dynamic Behavior of a Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer

Kaoutar Kabouchi

Abstract


In this study, numerical simulations were conducted to analyze the three-dimensional two-phase water/oxygen flow in the anode side flow field plate of a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell (PEMEC) using COMSOL Multiphysics at various times ( 0 s, 1 s, 2 s and 10 s). The mixture model was employed to capture the behavior of the two phases, aiming to investigate the flow characteristics within the flow field plate. Therefore, this software is used to solve numerically the complete three-dimensional model with the governing equations of continuity, momentum, and energy. The numerical findings including the velocity magnitude, the gas volume fraction distributions, and the pressure drop in the cell are presented and discussed. It is found that at 2 s and 10 s, the volume fraction of oxygen gas is highest at the plate center of the flow field and increases from the channel entrance to the channel exit. Moreover, the flow distribution within the anode side flow field plate exhibits non-uniformity initially, particularly when gas production starts, but gradually stabilizes after reaching full oxygen production, indicating a relatively stable flow distribution between 2 s and 10 s. This work constitutes a contribution to the understanding of flow dynamics and the gas distribution within the anode side flow field plate of a PEM electrolyzer, crucial for optimizing its performance and efficiency.


Keywords


renewable energy; Hydrogen & Fuel Cells

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References


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DOI (PDF): https://doi.org/10.20508/ijrer.v16i2.15339.g9218

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