Prediction of Flow Crossover in the GDL of PEFC Using Serpentine Flow Channel

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. K. Saha ◽  
N. Oshima
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Cross Flow ◽  
Flow Distribution ◽  
Mass Conservation ◽  
Flow Channel ◽  
Optimum Pressure ◽  
Serpentine Flow Channel

A serpentine flow channel is one of the most common and practical channel layouts for PEFCs since it ensures the removal of water produced in the cell with an acceptable parasitic load. The operating parameters such as temperature, pressure and flow distribution in the flow channel and GDL has a great influence on the performance of PEFCs. It is desired to have an optimum pressure drop because a certain pressure drop helps to remove excess liquid water from the fuel cell, too much of pressure drop would increase parasitic power needed for the pumping air through the fuel cell. In order to accurately estimate the pressure drop precise calculation of mass conservation is necessary. Flow crossover in the serpentine channel and GDL of PEFC has been investigated by using a transient, non-isothermal and three-dimensional numerical model. Considerable amount of cross flow through GDL is found and its influence on the pressure variation in the channel is identified. The results obtained by numerical simulation are also compared with the experimental as well as theoretical solution.

Numerical Simulation Applied to Study the Effects of Fractal Tree-Liked Network Channel Designs on PEMFC Performance

2012 ◽  
Vol 488-489 ◽  
pp. 1219-1223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shan Jen Cheng ◽  
Jr Ming Miao ◽  
Chang Hsien Tai
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Flow Distribution ◽  
Flow Channel ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Channel Network ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis ◽  
Network Channel

The effect of pressure drop and the flow-field of inhomogeneous transport of reactions gas are two important issues for bipolar flow channel design in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). A novel design through the imitation of biological development of the topology distribution of fractal tree-liked network channel is the main topic of this research. The effects of different Reynolds numbers and stoichiometric mass flow rate of reaction gas on the flow field distribution of tree-like channels were investigated by three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic analysis. According to numerical simulations, the fractal tree-liked network channel would have an excellent performance on the uniformity of multi-branching flow distribution and lower pressure drop along channels. The new type of fractal tree-liked bionic flow channel network design will be applied to assist in the experimental reference for improving the performance of fuel cell stack system in PEMFC for future.

Effect of Width of a Serpentine Flow Channel on PEM Fuel Cell Performance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srinivasa Reddy Badduri ◽  
Ramesh Siripuram ◽  
Naga Srinivasulu G ◽  
Srinivasa Rao S
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Flow Channel ◽  
Cell Performance ◽  
Fuel Cell Performance ◽  
Serpentine Flow Channel

scholarly journals The Effects of the PEM Fuel Cell Performance with the Waved Flow Channels

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue-Tzu Yang ◽  
Kuo-Teng Tsai ◽  
Cha’o-Kuang Chen
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Gas Diffusion ◽  
Flow Channel ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Electrical Performance ◽  
Wave Number ◽  
Gap Size ◽  
Fuel Cell Performance

The objective of this study is to use a new style of waved flow channel instead of the plane surface channel in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The velocity, concentration, and electrical performance with the waved flow channel in PEMFC are investigated by numerical simulations. The results show that the waved channel arises when the transport benefits through the porous layer and improves the performance of the PEMFC. This is because the waved flow channel enhances the forced convection and causes the more reactant gas flow into the gas diffusion layer (GDL). The performance which was compared to a conventional straight gas flow channel increases significantly with the small gap size when it is smaller than 0.5 in the waved flow channel. The performance is decreased at the high and low velocities as the force convection mechanism is weakened and the reactant gas supply is insufficient. The pressure drop is increased as the gap size becomes smaller, and the wave number decreases. (gap size)δ> 0.3 has a reasonable pressure drop. Consequently, compared to a conventional PEMFC, the waved flow channel improves approximately 30% of power density.

Optimum Performance of a Regenerative Gas Turbine Power Plant Operating With/Without a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Haseli
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell ◽  
Hybrid System ◽  
Thermal Efficiency ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Solid Oxide ◽  
Work Output ◽  
Oxide Fuel ◽  
Optimum Pressure

Optimum pressure ratios of a regenerative gas turbine (RGT) power plant with and without a solid oxide fuel cell are investigated. It is shown that assuming a constant specific heat ratio throughout the RGT plant, explicit expressions can be derived for the optimum pressure ratios leading to maximum thermal efficiency and maximum net work output. It would be analytically complicated to apply the same method for the hybrid system due to the dependence of electrochemical parameters such as cell voltage on thermodynamic parameters like pressure and temperature. So, the thermodynamic optimization of this system is numerically studied using models of RGT plant and solid oxide fuel cell. Irreversibilities in terms of component efficiencies and total pressure drop within each configuration are taken into account. The main results for the RGT plant include maximization of the work output at the expenses of 2–4% lower thermal efficiency and higher capital costs of turbo-compressor compared to a design based on maximum thermal efficiency. On the other hand, the hybrid system is studied for a turbine inlet temperature (TIT) of 1 250–1 450 K and 10–20% total pressure drop in the system. The maximum thermal efficiency is found to be at a pressure ratio of 3–4, which is consistent with past studies. A higher TIT leads to a higher pressure ratio; however, no significant effect of pressure drop on the optimum pressure ratio is observed. The maximum work output of the hybrid system may take place at a pressure ratio at which the compressor outlet temperature is equal to the turbine downstream temperature. The work output increases with increasing the pressure ratio up to a point after which it starts to vary slightly. The pressure ratio at this point is suggested to be the optimal because the work output is very close to its maximum and the thermal efficiency is as high as a littler less than 60%.

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