Comparison of current distributions in proton exchange membrane fuel cells with interdigitated and serpentine flow fields

Current distributions in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with interdigitated and serpentine flow fields under various operating conditions are measured and compared. The measurement results show that current distributions in PEMFC with interdigitated flow fields are more uniform than those observed in PEMFC with serpentine flow fields at low reactant gas flow rates. Current distributions in PEMFC with interdigitated flow fields are rather uniform under any operating conditions, even with very low gas flow rates, dry gas feeding or over-humidification of reactant gases. Measurement results also show that current distributions for both interdigitated and serpentine flow fields are significantly affected by reactant gas humidification, but their characteristics are different under various humidification conditions, and the results show that interdigitated flow fields have stronger water removal capability than serpentine flow fields. The optimum reactant gas humidification temperature for interdigitated flow fields is higher than that for serpentine flow fields. The performance for interdigitated flow fields is better with over-humidification of reactant gases but it is lower when air is dry or insufficiently humidified than that for serpentine flow fields.