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http://dx.doi.org/10.7849/ksnre.2012.8.3.006

Unsteady Internal Flow Analysis of a Cathode Air Blower Used for Fuel Cell System  

Jang, Choon-Man (Environmental Engineering Research Division, Korea Institute of Construction Technology)
Lee, Jong-Sung (Environmental Engineering Research Division, Korea Institute of Construction Technology)
Publication Information
New & Renewable Energy / v.8, no.3, 2012 , pp. 6-13 More about this Journal
Abstract
This paper describes unsteady internal flow characteristics of a cathode air blower, used for the 1 kW fuel cell system. The cathode air blower considered in the present study is a diaphragm type blower. To analyze the flow field inside the diaphragm cavity, compressible unsteady numerical simulation is performed. Moving mesh system is applied to the numerical analysis for describing the volume change of the diaphragm cavity in time. Throughout a numerical simulation by modeling the inlet and outlet valves in a diaphragm cavity, unsteady nature of an internal flow is successfully analyzed. Variations of mass flow rate, force and pressure on the lower moving plate of a diaphragm cavity are evaluated in time. The computed mass flow rate at the same pressure and rotating frequency of a motor has a maximum of 5 percent error with the experimental data. It is found that flow pattern at the suction process is more complex compared to that at the discharge process. Unsteady nature of internal flow in the cathode air blower is analyzed in detail.
Keywords
Fuel cell system; Unsteady analysis; Cathode air blower; Pressure; Diaphragm cavity;
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Times Cited By KSCI : 1  (Citation Analysis)
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