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http://dx.doi.org/10.3795/KSME-B.2010.34.8.767

Numerical Study on the Cooling Characteristics of a Passive-Type PEMFC Stack  

Lee, Jae-Hyuk (Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Univ.)
Kim, Bo-Sung (Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Univ.)
Lee, Yong-Taek (Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Univ.)
Kim, Yong-Chan (Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Univ.)
Publication Information
Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B / v.34, no.8, 2010 , pp. 767-774 More about this Journal
Abstract
In a passive-type PEMFC stack, axial fans operate to supply both oxidant and coolant to cathode side of the stack. It is possible to make a simple system because the passive-type PEMFC stack does not require additional cooling equipment. However, the performance of a cooling system in which water is used as a coolant is better than that of the air-cooling system. To ensure system reliability, it is essential to make cooling system effective by adopting an optimal stack design. In this study, a numerical investigation has been carried out to identify an optimum cooling strategy. Various channel configurations were applied to the test section. The passive-type PEMFC was tested by varying airflow rate distribution at the cathode side and external heat transfer coefficient of the stack. The best cooling performance was achieved when a channel with thick ribs was used, and the overheating at the center of the stack was reduced when a case in which airflow was concentrated at the middle of the stack was used.
Keywords
PEMFC; Passive Type Fuel Cell; Temperature Distribution; Air Flow Rate; Channel Configuration;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 2  (Citation Analysis)
Times Cited By SCOPUS : 0
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