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The effects of oil/MWCNT nanofluids and geometries on the solid oxide fuel cell cooling systems: a CFD study

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Abstract

In this numerical study, the variations in the surface area of the cooling channels in a solid oxide fuel cell with different cross sections and multi-walled carbon nanotubes oil/MWCNT nanofluid volume fractions are considered. Rectangular, trapezoidal and elliptical cross sections, and nanofluid volume fractions of 0–6% for the fluid are chosen as the studied parameters as well as the mass flow rates. In this research, a 3D model is developed by the finite volume method using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Then, the flow field and the heat transfer rate are predicted. The results show that the dissipated heat in the fuel cell is dependent on the mass flow rate of the fluid. That increased heat increases the heat transfer rate. The presence of the solid particles can also reinforce the heat conduction of the coolant fluid and consequently improve the heat transfer performance. The pumping power is maximum for the highest mass flow rate and the highest solid nanoparticle volume fractions. Additionally, the pumping power is dependent on the route in which the sections with lowest momentum changes and lowest pressure drops have the least amount of the pumping power. The ratio of the dissipated heat by the nanofluid over the base fluid is compared to a pressure drop. The movement of flow with the lower mass flow rates will result in penetrations of the thermal boundary layers into different flow regions, which can increase the optimum temperature in the solid part of the fuel cell. By increasing the mass flow rate of the fluid passing through the channels from 0.002 to 0.004 kg s−1, the maximum temperature is decreased by 6.13, 3.34 and 6.35% for rectangular, trapezoidal and elliptical channels, respectively.

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Abbreviations

\(C_{\text{p}}\) :

Specific heat (J kg−1 K−1)

\(K\) :

Thermal conductivity for fluid (W m−1 K−1)

\(L\) :

Length (mm)

\(P\) :

Pressure (Pa)

\(Q\) :

Heat transfer rate (w)

\(T\) :

Temperature (K)

\(W\) :

Width (mm)

\(W_{\text{pump}}\) :

Pumping power

\(u, v, w\) :

Velocity (m s−1)

\(\mu\) :

Dynamic viscosity (N s m−2)

\(\rho\) :

Density (kg m−3)

\(\vartheta\) :

Kinematic viscosity (m2 s−1)

\(\Delta P\) :

Pressure drop (Pa)

\(\dot{Q}\) :

Volumetric flow rate (m3 s−1)

a:

Anode

c:

Cathode

ch:

Channel

e:

Electrolyte

f:

Fluid

fc:

Fuel cell

In:

Inlet

nf:

Nanofluid

out:

Outlet

s:

Solid

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their special thanks for the provided funding resources by Mohsen Saffari Pour from the National Elites Foundation of Iran and Stiftelsen Axel Hultgerns of Sweden for supporting this research. The authors also thank the reviewers for their constructive and helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

    Erfan Khodabandeh

  2. Young Researchers and Elite Club, Islamic Azad University Khomeinishahr, Isfahan, Iran

    Omid Ali Akbari

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

    Soheil Akbari & Afshin Taghizadeh

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

    Mohsen Saffari Pour

  5. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

    Mohsen Saffari Pour, Mikael Ersson & Pär G. Jönsson

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  1. Erfan Khodabandeh
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  2. Omid Ali Akbari
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  3. Soheil Akbari
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Correspondence to Mohsen Saffari Pour.

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Khodabandeh, E., Akbari, O.A., Akbari, S. et al. The effects of oil/MWCNT nanofluids and geometries on the solid oxide fuel cell cooling systems: a CFD study. J Therm Anal Calorim 144, 245–256 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-020-09422-3

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