Unsteady three-dimensional numerical study of mass transfer in tubular PEM fuel cell

This study investigates the influence of introducing an obstacle within the flow channel of a tubular PEM fuel cell on mass transfer phenomena. A three-dimensional, isothermal, and single-phase model was utilized to capture the complex interactions within the system. The governing equations were discretized using the finite volume method in cylindrical coordinates, employing an implicit time scheme and the power-law approach for spatial discretization to ensure numerical accuracy. To address the computational complexity, the ADI method was applied to simplify the resulting system of algebraic equations, facilitating efficient numerical resolution. A dedicated Fortran program was developed to simulate and analyze the detailed spatial distributions of reactants and water vapor within the fuel cell. The results reveal that the inclusion of obstacles in the flow channels significantly enhances the mass transfer process by improving reactant transport and distribution. This improvement points to a promising strategy for optimizing the performance and efficiency of tubular PEM fuel cells.