scholarly journals Heat Transfer Optimization of NEXA Ballard Low-Temperature PEMFC

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2182
Author(s):  
Artem Chesalkin ◽  
Petr Kacor ◽  
Petr Moldrik
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Stable Condition ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Cfd Modeling ◽  
Heat Distribution ◽  
Operation Conditions ◽  
Heat Transfer Optimization

Hydrogen is one of the modern energy carriers, but its storage and practical use of the newest hydrogen technologies in real operation conditions still is a task of future investigations. This work describes the experimental hydrogen hybrid energy system (HHS). HHS is part of a laboratory off-grid system that stores electricity gained from photovoltaic panels (PVs). This system includes hydrogen production and storage units and NEXA Ballard low-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Fuel cell (FC) loses a significant part of heat during converting chemical energy into electricity. The main purpose of the study was to explore the heat distribution phenomena across the FC NEXA Ballard stack during load with the next heat transfer optimization. The operation of the FC with insufficient cooling can lead to its overheating or even cell destruction. The cause of this undesirable state is studied with the help of infrared thermography and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling with heat transfer simulation across the stack. The distribution of heat in the stack under various loads was studied, and local points of overheating were determined. Based on the obtained data of the cooling air streamlines and velocity profiles, few ways of the heat distribution optimization along the stack were proposed. This optimization was achieved by changing the original shape of the FC cooling duct. The stable condition of the FC stack at constant load was determined.

Analysis of an Integrated PEMFC/ORC Power System Using Ammonia for Hydrogen Storage

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenico Borello ◽  
Zaccaria Del Prete ◽  
Andrea Marchegiani ◽  
Franco Rispoli ◽  
Eileen Tortora
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Power Systems ◽  
Electric Power ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Pure Hydrogen ◽  
Operation Conditions

The present work deals with a high temperature proton exchange membrane (SPEEK-type) fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) energy system fuelled with hydrogen obtained by reforming of ammonia (NH3) and coupled with a bottoming Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) energy system. This system was designed for distributed electric power generation, mainly for production of electric power systems with potential future applications in smart-grid. The use of ammonia as hydrogen rich gas source allows to avoid hydrogen tanking with metal hydrides, giving the opportunity to lighten and simplify the storage section of the system with respect to the pure hydrogen fed systems. The hybrid fuel cell/ORC configuration allows to increase the efficiency of standard power generation technologies. In other words, the ORC subset represents the most appropriate solution, in terms of sustainability, for extracting the excess heat produced during the H2 combustion maintaining the PEMFC working temperature at 120°C and for reducing the temperature of the exhausts. The objective of the work is to optimize the electric output of the system (PEMFC + ORC), thus improving the overall efficiency. To this end, a numerical model is implemented and tested. A validation of the numerical scheme is carried out comparing the prediction of the reforming phase with experimental results obtained by the authors. The thermal and electrical energy balance is also assessed. Furthermore, the operation conditions of the reformer are studied in detail to determine the settlements leading to a proper ammonia cracking to produce nitrogen and hydrogen. Furthermore, the calculations take into account also the auxiliary equipments such as pumps, compressors and heat exchangers.

Numerical analysis of static and dynamic heat transfer behaviors inside proton exchange membrane fuel cell

2021 ◽  
Vol 488 ◽  
pp. 229419
Author(s):  
Qianqian Wang ◽  
Fumin Tang ◽  
Bing Li ◽  
Haifeng Dai ◽  
Jim P. Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Numerical Analysis ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Dynamic Heat Transfer ◽  
Exchange Membrane

An Experimental Study of the Effect of a Turbulence Grid on the Stack Performance of an Air-Cooled Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saher Al Shakhshir ◽  
Xin Gao ◽  
Torsten Berning
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Limiting Current ◽  
Cathode Side ◽  
Exchange Membrane ◽  
Turbulence Grid

Abstract In a previous numerical study on heat and mass transfer in air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cells, it was found that the performance is limited by heat transfer to the cathode side air stream that serves as a coolant, and it was proposed to place a turbulence grid before the cathode inlet in order to induce a mixing effect to the air and thereby improve the heat transfer and ultimately increase the limiting current and maximum power density. The current work summarizes experiments with different turbulence grids which varied in terms of their pore size, grid thickness, rib width, angle of the pores, and the distance between the grid and the cathode inlet. For all grids tested in this study, the limiting current density of a Ballard Mark 1020 ACS stack was increased by 20%. The single most important parameter was the distance between the turbulence grid and the cathode inlet, and it should be within 5 mm. For the best grid tested, the fuel cell stack voltage and thus the efficiency were increased by up to 20%. The power density was increased by more than 30% and further improvements are believed to be possible.

CFD Investigation of a PEMFC Stack Assembly

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin R. Anderson ◽  
Andrew Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Pt Catalyst ◽  
Cfd Modeling ◽  
Software Module ◽  
Contour Plots ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Voltage Performance ◽  
Exchange Membrane

Abstract In this study 3-D CFD modeling of a cylindrical stack Proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is provided. The H2O-O2 PEMFC uses a 10.8 mm2 area membrane and Platinum (Pt) catalyst. The paper presents the methodology for the PEMFC commercial software module, the set-up of the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) geometry, mesh and boundary conditions. Results for the current-voltage performance curves and 3-D contour plots of the fluid, heat and species concentrations within the PEMFC are given. Results are presented for a low-temperature fuel cell using NAFION membrane and a high-temperature fuel cell using BZY membrane.

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