Nature inspired flow field designs for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Nature inspired flow field designs for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are a relatively recent development in the technology evolution. These novel designs have the potential to show dramatic performance improvements by effective distribution of reactant gases without water flooding. Optimization of a flow field requires balancing gas distribution, water management, electron transport, pressure drop and manufacturing simplicity. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation studies are a useful tool for evaluating nature inspired flow field designs; however, the predictions should be used with caution until validated by an experimental study. Nature inspired flow field designs can be generated using formal mathematical algorithms or by making heuristic modifications to existing natural structures. This paper reviews the current state of nature inspired PEMFC flow field designs and discusses the challenges in evaluating these designs.

► This manuscript deals with the trend on flow field design in the recent years. ► CFD modeling is a useful design tool but limitations should be understood. ► Nature inspired designs are one of the potential optimization approaches.