Numerical study on the cooling characteristics of a passive-type PEMFC stack

Jaehyuk Lee, Bosung Kim, Yongtaek Lee, Yongchan Kim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In a passive-type PEMFC stack, axial fens 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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)767-774
Number of pages8
JournalTransactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers, B
Volume34
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2010 Aug

Keywords

  • Air flow rate
  • Channel configuration
  • PEMFC
  • Passive type fuel cell
  • Temperature distribution

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Mechanical Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Numerical study on the cooling characteristics of a passive-type PEMFC stack'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this