Fuel Cells
Amarnath Gundalabhagavan; Veeresh Babu Alur; Kshitij Bhosale
Abstract
Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are essential for the efficient operation of hydrogen-powered automobiles. To improve their performance, researchers have proposed tapered flow channels as a possible solution. However, determining the optimal value for the tapering has not been explored in ...
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Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are essential for the efficient operation of hydrogen-powered automobiles. To improve their performance, researchers have proposed tapered flow channels as a possible solution. However, determining the optimal value for the tapering has not been explored in depth. In this study, a numerical investigation was conducted to optimize the tapering of tapered serpentine channels in PEMFCs. The results show that while anode channel tapering has a negligible effect on performance, cathode channel tapering has a significant impact. The study found that a flow channel geometry with an inlet of 0.8 mm and an outlet of 0.2 mm, with a gradual decrease in cross-section, resulted in the maximum net output, with a 10.64% increase in net power output at 0.7 V. Additionally, the improved water management performance was observed. Based on these findings, tapering flow channels only on the cathode side could be utilized as an optimal design for achieving higher performance. Overall, this study is significant as it provides valuable insights into optimizing the performance of PEMFCs, which can enhance their efficiency and utilization in hydrogen-powered vehicles. It highlights the importance of investigating the effects of flow channel geometry on performance and can guide future research in this area to improve the efficiency of PEMFCs.
Fuel Cells
M. Rostami; A. H. Farajollahi; F. Bagherpor; V. Sfandiyar
Abstract
Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) produce high power density efficiently and in a pollution-free way. Therefore, it is employed in UAVs. Flow fields play key role in the performance of PEMFC-powered UAVs. In this study, a novel flow field named modified combined was introduced and investigated ...
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Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) produce high power density efficiently and in a pollution-free way. Therefore, it is employed in UAVs. Flow fields play key role in the performance of PEMFC-powered UAVs. In this study, a novel flow field named modified combined was introduced and investigated by a three-dimensional and two-phase PEMFC model. In the flow field main channels are tapered aiming to reinforce the performance. The study consists of two steps. In the first stage, modified combined was compared with parallel, serpentine, interdigitated, and combined. The results showed that in the modified combined compared with simple combined, pressure drop decreased 22.6%. Modified combined demonstrated suitable oxygen distribution and appropriate management and the specific power of modified combined is the highest value among all flow fields. Finally, the effect of atmospheric conditions on the performance of the PEMFC with modified combined flow field was studied and two equations were presented to predict the performance at 0.4V and 0.7V at the different altitudes of flight. The findings unveiled the point that in the cruise phase of the flight, low voltage is more suitable for PEMFC-driven UAV with modified combined flow field. All in all, modified combined flow field and low voltage are recommended to be utilized in PEMFCs as propulsion system of UAVs.