Open Access

ARTICLE

Biomimetic Flow Field Inspired by Sunflower Phyllotaxis: Design and Performance Optimization for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Liangxiu Zhang¹, Qinghai Zhao^2,3,*, Feiteng Cheng¹

1 Shanghai Baolong Automotive Corporation, Shanghai, 201619, China
2 College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
3 National Engineering Research Center for Intelligent Electrical Vehicle Power System, Qingdao, 266071, China

* Corresponding Author: Qinghai Zhao. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Fluid Mechanics & Thermodynamics in Renewable Energy and HVAC Systems)

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2025, 21(9), 2177-2199. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2025.068499

Received 30 May 2025; Accepted 13 August 2025; Issue published 30 September 2025

Abstract

To advance the performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), this work proposes a novel biomimetic flow field architecture inspired by the geometric arrangement of sunflower florets. Drawing on natural principles of optimal spatial distribution, a multi-physics simulation model of the resulting Sunflower Bionic Flow Field (SBFF) was developed. Building upon this foundation, an enhanced configuration was introduced by integrating an annular channel, yielding a modified variant referred to as Modified Sunflower Bionic Flow Field (MSBFF). For comparative purposes, a conventional Traditional Parallel Flow Field (TPFF) was also analyzed under identical conditions. Simulation results underscore the superior gas distribution performance of the bionic configurations. Both SBFF and MSBFF significantly improved the homogeneity of reactant gas molar concentration throughout the flow domain. Relative to the TPFF, the SBFF achieved a 13.32% increase in current density, while the MSBFF reached an enhancement of 15.09%. Correspondingly, peak power densities rose by 14.07% and 16.55%, respectively. Furthermore, these bio-inspired structures contributed to improved thermal regulation, as evidenced by a reduction in average electrolyte temperature by 3.22% for the SBFF and 2.92% for the MSBFF. To further optimize performance, the influence of Fibonacci spiral channel count within the MSBFF design was systematically investigated. Results reveal a strong positive correlation between the number of spiral channels and electrochemical output. In particular, the MSBFF with 16 spiral channels (MSBFF-16) demonstrated the most favorable electrical and thermal characteristics. At an operating voltage of 0.7 V, MSBFF-16 exhibited a current density increase of 1.27% and 0.94% over MSBFF and MSBFF-12, respectively. Likewise, peak power density improved by 2.69% and 1.67%. Finally, the study examined the impact of varying inlet mass fractions of oxygen and hydrogen on SOFC performance. Distinct trends were observed: increasing the oxygen mass fraction markedly enhanced heat transfer and current density, while greater hydrogen mass fractions significantly boosted fuel utilization. These findings highlight the crucial role of reactant composition and flow field topology in governing the electrochemical and thermal efficiency of SOFC systems.

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Keywords

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