Numerical Investigation of In-Line and Staggered Trap Channels in the Serpentine Flow Field of PEMFCs

Enhancing the transverse velocity to the catalyst layer and exploiting the over-rib convection are popular methods for improving the power output of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The trap channel configuration for optimizing the cathode channel offers a simple and inexpensive solution for design and manufacture. This study investigated a three-channel PEMFC model with and without integrating trap channels. The simulation study revealed that the channel with trap configuration produces higher power than the original straight channel without causing an increase in pressure drop. The implementation of traps formed high transverse velocity zones at the end of each trap and increased the O₂ molar concentration at the gas diffusion layer (GDL)|catalyst layer (CL) interface but reduced the velocity magnitudes at the bipolar plate (BP)|GDL interface. Conversely, the staggered trap configuration exhibited a substantial positive impact on PEMFC performance through the augmentation of over-rib convection. The staggered configuration significantly outperformed the in-line trap configuration, yielding a remarkable maximum performance increase of 5.23% compared with the 2.07% enhancement observed in the in-line case.