Simulation of droplet removal processes in proton exchange membrane fuel cell flow channel using lattice Boltzmann method

Water management in the flow channel can enhance the mass transfer of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). A lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) that can reflect the real physical properties of the fluid is proposed to explore the purging behavior of liquid water. The effects of temperatures and channel heights are investigated, and the results show that purging should be done immediately after shutdown to avoid the increase in droplet discharge time due to temperature reduction. The discharge time of droplets at 75°C is 31.03% less than that at 25°C. The height of the channel affects the shape change and speed of the droplet, and the reduction of height from 300 μm to 200 μm leads to a 45.76% reduction in droplet discharge time.