Computational Study of Edge Cooling for Open-Cathode Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Stacks

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agus P. Sasmito ◽  
Tariq Shamim ◽  
Erik Birgersson ◽  
Arun S. Mujumdar
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
The Impact

In open-cathode polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) stacks, a significant temperature rise can exist due to insufficient cooling, especially at higher current densities. To improve stack thermal management while reducing the cost of cooling, we propose a forced air-convection open-cathode fuel cell stack with edge cooling (fins). The impact of the edge cooling is studied via a mathematical model of the three-dimensional two-phase flow and the associated conservation equations of mass, momentum, species, energy, and charge. The model includes the stack, ambient, fan, and fins used for cooling. The model results predict better thermal management and stack performance for the proposed design as compared to the conventional open-cathode stack design, which shows potential for practical applications. Several key design parameters—fin material and fin geometry—are also investigated with regard to the stack performance and thermal management.

Computational Study of Edge Cooling for Open-Cathode Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Stacks

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agus Pulung Sasmito ◽  
Tariq Shamim ◽  
Erik Birgersson ◽  
Arun Sadashiv Mujumdar
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Forced Air ◽  
The Impact

In open-cathode polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) stacks, a significant temperature rise can exist due to insufficient cooling, especially at higher current densities. To improve stack thermal management whilst reducing the cost for cooling, we propose a forced air-convection open-cathode fuel cell stack with edge cooling (fins). The impact of the edge cooling is studied via mathematical model of the three-dimensional two-phase flow and associated conservation equations of mass, momentum, species, energy and charge. The model includes stack, ambient, fan and fins used for cooling. The model results predict better thermal management and stack performance for the proposed design as compared to the conventional open-cathode stack design, which shows potential for practical application. Several key design parameters — fin material and fin geometry — are also investigated with regards to the stack performance and thermal management.

Three-Dimensional Visualization of Water Behavior in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell by Using Neutron Radiography

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michinori Hashimoto ◽  
Hideki Murakawa ◽  
Katsumi Sugimoto ◽  
Hitoshi Asano ◽  
Nobuyuki Takenaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte ◽  
Neutron Radiography ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Image Intensifier ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell ◽  
Reconstruction Method ◽  
Ct Reconstruction ◽  
Water Behavior ◽  
Neutron Image

Visualization of dynamic three-dimensional water behavior in a PEFC stack was carried out by neutron CT using a neutron image intensifier for clarifying water effects on performances of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC) stack. Neutron radiography system at JRR-3 in Japan Atomic Energy Agency was used. An operating stack with three cells based on Japan Automobile Research Institute standard was visualized. A consecutive CT reconstruction method by rotating the fuel stack continuously was developed by using a neutron image intensifier and a C-MOS high speed video camera. The dynamic water behavior in channels in the operating PEFC stack was clearly visualized 15 sec in interval by the developed dynamic neutron CT system. From the CT reconstructed images, evaluation of water amount in each cell was carried out. It was shown that the water distribution in each cell was correlated well with power generation characteristics in each cell.

scholarly journals Impact of MPL on Temperature Distribution in Single Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell with Various Thicknesses of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2499
Author(s):  
Akira Nishimura ◽  
Tatsuya Okado ◽  
Yuya Kojima ◽  
Masafumi Hirota ◽  
Eric Hu
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Temperature Distribution ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte Membrane ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell ◽  
Electrolyte Membrane ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Plane Temperature ◽  
Power Generation Performance

The impact of micro porous layer (MPL) with various thicknesses of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) on heat and mass transfer characteristics, as well as power generation performance of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC), is investigated. The in-plane temperature distribution on cathode separator back is also measured by thermocamera. It has been found that the power generation performance is improved by the addition of MPL, especially at higher current density condition irrespective of initial temperature of cell (Tini) and relative humidity condition. However, the improvement is not obvious when the thin PEM (Nafion NRE-211; thickness of 25 μm) is used. The increase in temperature from inlet to outlet without MPL is large compared to that with MPL when using thick PEM, while the difference between without MPL and with MPL is small when using thin PEM. It has been confirmed that the addition of MPL is effective for the improvement of power generation performance of single PEFC operated at higher temperatures than normal. However, the in-plane temperature distribution with MPL is not even.

scholarly journals On the hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of the cathode gas diffusion layer in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell

2013 ◽  
Vol 469 (2154) ◽  
pp. 20120695 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Vynnycky ◽  
A. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte ◽  
Diffusion Layer ◽  
Gas Diffusion Layer ◽  
Gas Diffusion ◽  
Cell Performance ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell ◽  
Liquid Region ◽  
Catalytic Layer ◽  
Two Phase

An anomaly in the modelling of two-phase flow in the porous cathode gas diffusion layer (GDL) of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell is investigated asymptotically and numerically. Although not commented on previously in literature, the generalized Darcy model used most commonly leads to the surprising prediction that a hydrophilic GDL can lead to better cell performance, in terms of current density, than a hydrophobic one. By analysing a reduced one-dimensional steady-state model and identifying the capillary number as a small dimensionless parameter, we find a potential flaw in the original model, associated with the constitutive relation linking the capillary pressure and the pressures of the wetting and non-wetting phases. Correcting this, we find that, whereas a hydrophilic GDL can sustain a two-phase (gas/liquid) region near the water-producing catalytic layer and gas phase only region further away, a hydrophobic GDL cannot; furthermore, hydrophobic GDLs are found to lead to better cell performance than hydrophilic GDLs, as is indeed experimentally the case.

Through-Plane Water Distribution in a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell at Various Operating Temperatures

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Wang ◽  
Ken S. Chen
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Electrochemical Reaction ◽  
Neutron Imaging ◽  
Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Model Predictions ◽  
Higher Temperature ◽  
Operating Temperatures

A multi-dimensional mathematical model is formulated for simulating the transport and electrochemical reaction phenomena in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC). The model describes the two-phase flows, electrochemical reaction kinetics, species transport, and heat transfer, as well as their intrinsic couplings within a PEFC. Two-dimensional model predictions are computed for the two typical operating temperatures at 40 and 80 °C. Computed results reveal that liquid water level may be lower at the higher temperature operation due to water vapor phase diffusion. Detailed water and temperature distributions are displayed to explain the water and heat transport and their interaction. The computed water-content profiles are compared with available experimental data obtained by neutron imaging.

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