• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.137-140
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• 2007

We consider the optimum air flow channel design for DMFC's in the present study. The effect of pressure drop across the inlet and outlet of a stack on the performance of a DMFC is the optimization of such geometric parameters is crucial to minimize the parasitic power usage by the auxiliary devices such as fuel pumps and blowers. In this paper, we present how the pressure drop control can optimize the driving point of a DMFC stack. Further, we show how the optimal fuel utilization ratio can be achieved, not degrading the performance of DMFC stacks. Overall, we discuss how the flow channel design affects the selection of balance of plant(BOP) components, the design of DMFC systems and the system efficiency.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.175-181
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• 2018

Stamping process and rubber pad forming process were performed to manufacture the bipolar plate for fuel cells. For that, a vacuum die casting process and a semi-solid forming process wherein liquid-state materials were used were adopted. After preparing the blank with the stainless steel thin plate having a thickness of 0.1 mm, the bipolar plate channel was formed with the stamping process and rubber pad forming process. The depth of the bipolar plate channel prepared by the stamping method was 0.45 mm and the depth of the bipolar plate channel prepared by the rubber pad forming process was 0.41 mm. Meanwhile, with the vacuum die casting and semi solid forming, the bipolar plate having a channel depth of 0.3 mm, same as the size of the die, could be formed.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.38-50
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• 2023

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a portable and clean power generation device. The structural arrangement of the flow field has a significant influence on the delivery efficiency of PEMFC. In this article, a new bionic flow channel is designed based on the inspiration of a spider shape. The branch channel width and branch corner are studied as the focus, and its simulation is carried out by the method of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The results show that when channel width/rib width and corner of the branch are 1.5 and 130° , respectively, it is the best numerical combination and the cell comprehensive performance is excellent. The final model using this numerical combination is compared with the traditional flow channel model to verify the advancement of this scheme.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.245-251
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• 2007

The performance of fuel cell is enhanced with increasing reaction surface. Narrow flow channels in flow plate cause increased pumping power. Therefore it is very important to consider the pressure drops in the flow channel of fuel cell. Previous research for pressure drop for micro channel of fuel cell was focused on effects of various configuration of flow channel without electrochemical reaction. It is very important to know pressure loss of micro flow channel with electrochemical reaction because fluid density in micro channel is changed due to chemical reaction. In this paper, it is investigated that the pressure drops in micro channel of various geometries at anode and cathode with electrochemical reaction and compared them to friction coefficient (fRe), velocity, pressure losses for corresponding non reacting flow channel. The results show that friction factors for cold flow channel could be used for parallel and bended flow channel for flow channel design of fuel cell. In the other hand, pressure drop for serpentine flow channel is the lowest among flow channels due to bypass flow across gas diffusion layer under reacting flow condition although its pressure drop is highest for cold flow condition.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.527-534
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• 2009

Flame stabilization characteristics were experimentally investigated in a fuel-air cross flowing mixing layer. A combustor consists of a narrow channel of air steam and a cross flowing fuel. Depending on the flow rates of methane and air, flame can be stabilized in two modes. First is an attached flame which is formulated at the backward step where the methane and air streams meet. Second is a lifted-flame which is formulated within the mixing layer far down steam from backward step. The heights and flame widths of the lifted flames were measured. Flame shapes of the lifted flames were similar to an ordinary edge flame or a tribrachial flame, and their behavior could be explained with the theories of an edge flame. With the increase of the mixing time between fuel and air, the fuel concentration gradient decreases and the flame propagation velocity increases. Thus the flame is stabilized where the flow velocity is matched to the flame propagation velocity in spite of a significant disturbance in the fuel mixing and heat loss within the channel. This study provides many experimental results for a higher fuel concentration gradient, and it can also be helpful for the development and application of a smaller combustor.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.82.2-82.2
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• 2011

A channel design which is closely related with the mass transport overpotential is one of the most important procedures to optimize the whole fuel cell performance. In this study, three dimensional results of a numerical study for gas distribution in channels of a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) unit cell for a 1kW class stack was presented. The relationship between the fuel and air distribution in the anode and cathode channels of the unit cell and the electric performance was observed. A charge balance model in the electrodes and the electrolyte coupled with a heat transfer model and a fluid flow model in the porous electrodes and the channels was solved for the mass, momentum, energy, species and charge conservation. The electronic and ionic charge balance in the anode and cathode current feeders, the electrolyte and GDEs were solved for using Ohm's law, while Butler-Volmer charge transfer kinetics described the charge transfer current density. The material transport was described by the diffusion and convection equations and Navier-Stokes equations govern the flow in the open channel. It was assumed that heat is produced by the electrochemical reactions and joule heating due to the electrical currents.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.2847-2858
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• 2021

When a nuclear reactor with rectangular fuel assemblies runs for a long time, impurities and debris may be taken into coolant channels, which may cause flow blockage, and the blocked fuel assemblies might be destroyed. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to perform a thermal-hydraulic analysis of a rectangular fuel assembly by STAR-CCM+, under the condition of one subchannel with 80% blockage ratio. A rectangular fuel assembly of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 10 MW material test reactor (MTR) is chosen. In view of the gasket material taken into the coolant channel is close to the single side of the coolant channel, in the flow blockage accident of the Oak Ridge Research Reactor (ORRR), a new blockage category called single side blockage is attempted. The blockage positions include inlet, middle and outlet, and the blockage is set as a cuboid. It is found by simulations that the blockage redistributes the mass flow rate, and large vortices appear locally. The peak temperature of the cladding is maximum, when the blockage is located at the single side of the coolant channel inlet, and no boiling occurs in all blockage cases. Moreover, as the height of the blockage increases, the damage caused by the blockage increases slightly.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.45-48
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• 2008

This paper presents a passive air-breathing direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) which has been designed and tested. The single cell is fuelled by methanol vapor that is supplied through flow channel from a methanol reservoir at the anode, and the oxygen is supplied via natural air-breathing at the cathode. The methods for supplying the methanol vapor to the single cell were parallel channel and chamber. This research investigates various methods to identify the effects of using flow channels for providing the methanol vapor at the anode, and the opening ratio between the inlet and outlet ports for the methanol flow at the anode. The best flow channel condition for passive DMFC was a chamber, and the opening ratio was 0.8. Under these conditions, the peak power was 10.2mW/$cm^2$ at room temperature and ambient pressure. The key issues for the Passive DMFCs for using methanol vapor are that sufficient methanol needs to be supplied using a large as possible opening ratio. However, it is shown that the performance of the passive DMFC, which has a channel at the anode,is low due to the low differential pressure and insufficient methanol supply rate.

• 한국전기화학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.6-6
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• 2004

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2016

In this study, CFD model for a Heat Exchange Steam Reformer (HESR) used for a 10kW SOFC system is developed for the design optimization of the HESR. The model is used to explore the effect of design parameters on the performance of the HESR. In the HESR, heat is delivered from the hot gas channel to the fuel channel to supply the heat required for the fuel reforming. In the fuel channel where the fuel is reformed, thermo-fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and chemical reaction are considered to predict the performance of the reformer. The model is validated with experimental data within 2~3% error. The validated model is used for the parametric study of the HESR design. Channel length, channel diameter, and flow direction are selected as the design parameters. The effects of the HESR design parameters on the outlet temperature, outlet H2 mole fraction, and pressure drop across the reformer are presented using the model.