Effects of cell-to-cell fuel mal-distribution on fuel cell performance and a means to reduce mal-distribution using MEMS micro-valves

Achieving uniform flow among the cells of a fuel cell stack plays a significant role in being able to operate at maximum capability and efficiency. This paper presents experimental data showing the importance of cell-to-cell fuel flow balancing on fuel cell performance, and a fuel cell energy manage...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of power sources Vol. 164; no. 1; pp. 115 - 125
Main Authors:	Hensel, J. Peter, Gemmen, Randall S., Thornton, Jimmy D., Vipperman, Jeffrey S., Clark, William W., Bucci, Brian A.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Lausanne Elsevier B.V 10-01-2007 Elsevier Sequoia
Subjects:	30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION Applied sciences EFFICIENCY Energy ENERGY MANAGEMENT Energy. Thermal use of fuels Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc Exact sciences and technology Flow imbalance FLOW RATE Fuel cell energy management FUEL CELLS MEMS Micro-valve PEMFC PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS PEMFC MEMS Fuel cell energy management Micro-valve Flow imbalance Cooling Voltage current curve Polymer electrolytes Valve Performance Energy management Fuel cell
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Achieving uniform flow among the cells of a fuel cell stack plays a significant role in being able to operate at maximum capability and efficiency. This paper presents experimental data showing the importance of cell-to-cell fuel flow balancing on fuel cell performance, and a fuel cell energy management (FCEM) technique that has demonstrated the ability to improve stack performance. In a specially instrumented four-cell polymer electrolyte fuel cell that allows external control of the air, fuel, and water-cooling flows to each cell, fuel to a single cell was reduced. V– I curves collected under these unbalanced conditions are compared to curves collected when the fuel flow to each cell was balanced. Reducing the fuel flow to a single cell by 11% decreased the V– I curve cutoff load by 10%—demonstrating the degree of negative effect that unbalanced fuel flows can have on stack performance. Typical fuel cell stacks have no dynamic means to keep flows in the stack balanced between the cells, but through the use of custom-built, piezoelectric micro-valves, a simple flow control strategy, and this custom four-cell laboratory stack, the positive effects of FCEM flow balancing at three different fuel flow rates was demonstrated.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 USDOE - Office of Fossil Energy (FE) DOE/NETL-IR-2007-066 None cited
ISSN:	0378-7753 1873-2755
DOI:	10.1016/j.jpowsour.2006.09.049