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Influence of thermal management and integration with turbomachinery on the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell systems

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Abstract

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have many good characteristics for small power sources such as low operating temperature and high power density. In this study, the effects of thermal management on the performance of PEMFC systems using natural gas fuel, and the effects of integrating PEMFC systems with turbomachines, were investigated. Firstly, performance of various system configurations differing in the thermal management of reforming and stack cooling processes was comparatively analyzed. Then, various integrated system combinations with turbomachines (compressors and turbines) were analyzed. We performed a parametric analysis of the influence of turbine inlet temperature and compressor pressure ratio on system performance, and a 10% difference in efficiency among four simple PEMFC systems was predicted. Pressurization of the PEMFC with adequate thermal management may improve system efficiency, while efficiency enhancement from corresponding simple PEMFC systems was hard to achieve in the ambient pressure integrated systems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School, Inha University, Incheon, 402-751, Korea

    Seung Won Ji, Byung Joon Ryu & Sung Ku Park

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, 402-751, Korea

    Tong Seop Kim

Authors
  1. Seung Won Ji
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  2. Byung Joon Ryu
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  3. Sung Ku Park
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  4. Tong Seop Kim
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tong Seop Kim.

Additional information

This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Yong-Tae Kim

Seung Won Ji received his MS in Mechanical Engineering from Inha University in 2010. His major research topic at Inha University was analysis of fuel cell based power generation systems. He is currently working at Hyundai Motor Company.

Byung Joon Ryu received his MS in Mechanical Engineering from Inha University in 2008. His major research topic at Inha University was analysis of fuel cell based power generation systems. He is currently working at STX Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.

Sung Ku Park received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Inha University in 2011, and is now a researcher at Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Ltd. His research topics include performance analysis of fuel cell/gas turbine hybrid system and advanced energy systems, especially integrated gasification combined cycle.

Tong Seop Kim received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University in 1995. He has been with the Dept of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University since 2000. His research interests are design and analysis of advanced energy systems including gas turbine based power generation systems and fuel cell systems.

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Ji, S.W., Ryu, B.J., Park, S.K. et al. Influence of thermal management and integration with turbomachinery on the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell systems. J Mech Sci Technol 25, 1861–1870 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-011-0515-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-011-0515-8

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