Study on the design of PEMFC flow channel based on the mechanism of human heartbeat in plateau environment

Low-pressure conditions significantly affect the performance of Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) in a plateau environment. In this study, a new serpentine flow channel with an intermediate inlet form was designed based on the traditional serpentine flow channel, drawing on the physiological mechanisms of increasing heart rate and increasing cardiac output in the human heart under a plateau environment. Parameters such as current density, power, water activity, and conductivity of the two flow paths at different atmospheric pressures were analyzed and compared using numerical simulation. The results showed that the decrease of atmospheric pressure leads to the uneven distribution of reactant concentration in the fuel cell, which in turn affects its performance. The new serpentine flow field design effectively solved this problem, especially at a current density of 1 A/cm2 and an atmospheric pressure of 0.67 atm; the power was increased by 34.8%, 0.61 S/m increased the conductivity, and the distribution of the current density and water activity was more uniform compared with that of the traditional serpentine flow field. Here, we provide a new design idea for the application of PEMFC in a plateau environment, which is conducive to promoting the progress of fuel cells in commercial applications.