Effects of hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties on the water behavior in the micro-channels of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell

The mobility of water droplets and water films inside a straight micro-channel of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell was simulated to study the effects of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties on water behavior. The volume-of-fluid model in the FLUENT package was used to keep track of the deformation of the liquid–gas interface. The results show that the water moved faster on a hydrophobic surface. But a hydrophobic channel side-wall was a disadvantage for the gas diffusion when the MEA had a hydrophilic surface. A hydrophilic channel side-wall with a hydrophobic MEA surface could avoid water accumulation on the MEA surface. The water and gas distribution under this condition was advantageous for water discharge and gas diffusion.