Investigation on cold start of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells with different cathode serpentine flow fields

Abstract The flow velocity and pressure distribution of the three cathode flow fields are simulated in this study. Larger pressure drop and more rapid flow rate reduce residual water, resulting in minimal ice formation during the cold start process. The simulation results show that the single variable cross section serpentine flow field has the largest pressure drop and the most rapid flow rate. The evolution of the temperature and the segment current density characteristics of three different cathode flow fields during cold start process is studied by printed circuit board technology. The results show that the 2 to 1 serpentine flow field has the best cold start performance and the best current density uniformity when cold start at constant voltage mode above −5 °C. However, the single variable cross section serpentine flow field has the best performance when cold start temperature is below −5 °C. Based on these results, cold start at −30 °C can be realized in 97s by using hot antifreeze liquid.