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Numerical evaluation of various gas and coolant channel designs for high performance liquid-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks

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  • Sasmito, Agus P.
  • Kurnia, Jundika C.
  • Mujumdar, Arun S.

Abstract

A careful design of gas and coolant channel is essential to ensure high performance and durability of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack. The channel design should allow for good thermal, water and gas management whilst keeping low pressure drop. This study evaluates numerically the performance of various gas and coolant channel designs simultaneously, e.g. parallel, serpentine, oblique-fins, coiled, parallel-serpentine and a novel hybrid parallel-serpentine-oblique-fins designs. The stack performance and local distributions of key parameters are investigated with regards to the thermal, water and gas management. The results indicate that the novel hybrid channel design yields the best performance as it constitutes to a lower pumping power and good thermal, water and gas management as compared to conventional channels. Advantages and limitation of the designs are discussed in the light of present numerical results. Finally, potential application and further improvement of the design are highlighted.

Suggested Citation

  • Sasmito, Agus P. & Kurnia, Jundika C. & Mujumdar, Arun S., 2012. "Numerical evaluation of various gas and coolant channel designs for high performance liquid-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 278-291.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:44:y:2012:i:1:p:278-291
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2012.06.030
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    1. Boyaci San, Fatma Gül & Isik-Gulsac, Isil & Okur, Osman, 2013. "Analysis of the polymer composite bipolar plate properties on the performance of PEMFC (polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells) by RSM (response surface methodology)," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 1067-1075.
    2. Colmenar-Santos, Antonio & Alberdi-Jiménez, Lucía & Nasarre-Cortés, Lorenzo & Mora-Larramona, Joaquín, 2014. "Residual heat use generated by a 12 kW fuel cell in an electric vehicle heating system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 182-190.
    3. Rahgoshay, S.M. & Ranjbar, A.A. & Ramiar, A. & Alizadeh, E., 2017. "Thermal investigation of a PEM fuel cell with cooling flow field," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 61-73.
    4. Yang, Luo & Nik-Ghazali, Nik-Nazri & Ali, Mohammed A.H. & Chong, Wen Tong & Yang, Zhenzhong & Liu, Haichao, 2023. "A review on thermal management in proton exchange membrane fuel cells: Temperature distribution and control," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    5. Kim, Ah-Reum & Jung, Hye-Mi & Um, Sukkee, 2014. "An engineering approach to optimal metallic bipolar plate designs reflecting gas diffusion layer compression effects," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 50-55.
    6. Chen, Ben & Deng, Qihao & Yang, Guanghua & Zhou, Yu & Chen, Wenshang & Cai, Yonghua & Tu, Zhengkai, 2023. "Numerical study on heat transfer characteristics and performance evaluation of PEMFC based on multiphase electrochemical model coupled with cooling channel," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    7. Han, Chaoling & Chen, Zhenqian, 2021. "Study on the synergism of thermal transport and electrochemical of PEMFC based on N, P co-doped graphene substrate electrode," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    8. Huang, Zhen-Ming & Su, Ay & Liu, Ying-Chieh, 2014. "Development and testing of a hybrid system with a sub-kW open-cathode type PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell stack," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 547-553.
    9. Mohammadi-Ahmar, Akbar & Solati, Ali & Osanloo, Behzad & Hatami, Mohammad, 2017. "Effect of number and arrangement of separator electrode assembly (SEA) on the performance of square tubular PEM fuel cells," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 302-313.
    10. Li, Yuehua & Pei, Pucheng & Wu, Ziyao & Xu, Huachi & Chen, Dongfang & Huang, Shangwei, 2017. "Novel approach to determine cathode two-phase-flow pressure drop of proton exchange membrane fuel cell and its application on water management," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 713-724.
    11. Ashley Fly & Kyoungyoun Kim & John Gordon & Daniel Butcher & Rui Chen, 2019. "Liquid Water Transport in Porous Metal Foam Flow-Field Fuel Cells: A Two-Phase Numerical Modelling and Ex-Situ Experimental Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-14, March.
    12. Wenbin Wang & Haoran Jia & Guoxiang Li & Wen Sun & Ke Sun & Shuzhan Bai & Hao Cheng, 2023. "Optimization of Cooling Channel Structure of Bipolar Plate for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Based on CFD Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-14, August.
    13. Rakhshanpouri, S. & Rowshanzamir, S., 2013. "Water transport through a PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell in a seven-layer model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 220-231.
    14. Jiangnan Song & Ying Huang & Yi Liu & Zongpeng Ma & Lunjun Chen & Taike Li & Xiang Zhang, 2022. "Numerical Investigation and Optimization of Cooling Flow Field Design for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-17, April.
    15. Ashrafi, Moosa & Kanani, Homayoon & Shams, Mehrzad, 2018. "Numerical and experimental study of two-phase flow uniformity in channels of parallel PEM fuel cells with modified Z-type flow-fields," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 317-328.
    16. Ren, Zhijun & Zhang, Dongming & Wang, Zaiyi, 2012. "Stacks with TiN/titanium as the bipolar plate for PEMFCs," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 577-581.
    17. Chen, Qin & Zhang, Guobin & Zhang, Xuzhong & Sun, Cheng & Jiao, Kui & Wang, Yun, 2021. "Thermal management of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: A review of cooling methods, material properties, and durability," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 286(C).
    18. Pei, Pucheng & Li, Yuehua & Xu, Huachi & Wu, Ziyao, 2016. "A review on water fault diagnosis of PEMFC associated with the pressure drop," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 366-385.
    19. Amirfazli, Amir & Asghari, Saeed & Sarraf, Mohammad, 2018. "An investigation into the effect of manifold geometry on uniformity of temperature distribution in a PEMFC stack," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 141-151.
    20. Kurnia, Jundika C. & Sasmito, Agus P. & Shamim, Tariq, 2017. "Performance evaluation of a PEM fuel cell stack with variable inlet flows under simulated driving cycle conditions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 751-764.
    21. Islam, M.R. & Shabani, B. & Rosengarten, G. & Andrews, J., 2015. "The potential of using nanofluids in PEM fuel cell cooling systems: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 523-539.
    22. Zhu, Kai-Qi & Ding, Quan & Zhang, Ben-Xi & Xu, Jiang-Hai & Li, Dan-Dan & Yang, Yan-Ru & Lee, Duu-Jong & Wan, Zhong-Min & Wang, Xiao-Dong, 2024. "Performance enhancement of air-cooled PEMFC stack by employing tapered oblique fin channels: Experimental study of a full stack and numerical analysis of a typical single cell," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 358(C).

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