G Minor et al 2009 Fluid Dyn. Res. 41 045506 doi:10.1088/0169-5983/41/4/045506
G Minor, N Djilali, D Sinton and P Oshkai
Show affiliationsCommunicated by J S Hyung
Two-phase air–water flow in an experimental model of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) gas distribution channel is investigated using quantitative flow imaging of the liquid phase. A rectangular gas channel model was fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), glass and carbon paper. A micro-digital-particle-image-velocimetry (micro-DPIV) technique was used to provide qualitative and quantitative visualizations of flow inside a water droplet adhering to the bottom wall of a gas channel and exposed to an air flow within the channel. Velocity measurements in a central cross-sectional plane inside a droplet placed in the channel are reported for a range of air flow rates. The relationships between air velocity in the channel, secondary rotational flow inside a droplet, droplet deformation and contact angle hysteresis are examined. The resulting flow fields provide insight into the interactions between the air and water flows that occur at the gas–liquid interface.
47.60.-i Flow phenomena in quasi-one-dimensional systems
82.47.Gh Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells
Issue 4 (August 2009)
Received 5 July 2008, in final form 5 March 2009
Published 5 June 2009
G Minor et al 2009 Fluid Dyn. Res. 41 045506
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