Analysis of operating characteristics of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell coupled with an air supply system

• Published in: Journal of mechanical science and technology Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 945 - 955
• Main Authors: Ji, Seung Won, Myung, No Sung, Kim, Tong Seop
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers 01.04.2011; Springer Nature B.V; 대한기계학회
• Subjects: Air supplies; Ambient temperature; Applied sciences; Balancing; Control; Convective and constrained heat transfer; Dynamical Systems; Electrolytes; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Engineering; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel cells; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Heat transfer; Industrial and Production Engineering; Mass transfer; Mechanical Engineering; Membranes; Physics; Stacks; Vibration; 기계공학; Efficiency; Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC); Voltage; Humidity; Blower; Membrane humidifier; Power; Air feed; Correlation; Critical system; Tube; Performance characteristic; Modeling; Shell; Membrane; Coupling; Proton exchange membrane fuel cells; Fuel cell; Balance of plant; Operating reliability; Polymer electrolytes; Critical parameter; Experimental study; Operating conditions; Thermal properties; Heat mass transfer; Room temperature
• ISSN: 1738-494X; 1976-3824
• DOI: 10.1007/s12206-011-0138-0

Balance-of-plant components, especially the air supply system, have a critical impact on the operating condition, performance, and reliability of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFCs). Thus, we investigated the performance and operating characteristics of a coupled system integrating a PEMFC and an air supply unit. The performance characteristics of the fuel cell stack were modeled using a semi-experimental correlation, and the operating characteristics of a shell-and-tube type membrane humidifier was modeled using heat and mass transfer principles. The models of both components were validated. A turbo-blower determined the condition of the air supplied to the humidifier and its characteristics were modeled using a performance map. A program was developed to simulate the operation of a PEMFC system consisting of the fuel cell stack and the air supply unit, and its operating characteristics at various conditions were investigated. In particular, the effects of operating conditions (ambient temperature and load) on the performance of both the humidifier and the fuel cell stack were examined, and the variations of critical operating parameters were analyzed.