A Lumped-Mass Model of Membrane Humidifier for PEMFC

Maintaining the performance of a fuel cell stack requires appropriate management of water in the membrane electrode. One solution is to apply an external humidifier to the supply gases. However, the operating conditions change continuously, which significantly affects the humidifier performance and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energies (Basel) 2022-03, Vol.15 (6), p.2113
Main Authors: Vu, Hoang Nghia, Nguyen, Xuan Linh, Yu, Sangseok
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Electrodes
Flow characteristics
fuel cell system
Fuel cells
Fuel technology
Gases
heat and mass transfer
Heat transfer
Hollow fiber membranes
Humidity
lumped-mass model
Manifolds
membrane humidifier
Membranes
Reynolds number
Temperature
Water management
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Summary:Maintaining the performance of a fuel cell stack requires appropriate management of water in the membrane electrode. One solution is to apply an external humidifier to the supply gases. However, the operating conditions change continuously, which significantly affects the humidifier performance and supply gas characteristics. A straightforward humidifier module is needed for integration with the fuel cell system model. In this study, a lumped-mass model was used to simulate a hollow-fiber membrane humidifier and investigate the effects of various input conditions on the humidifier performance. The lumped-mass model can account for heat transfer and vapor transport in the membrane bundle without losing simplicity. The humidifier module was divided into three parts: a heat and mass exchanger in the middle and two manifolds at the ends of the exchanger. These components were modeled separately and linked to each other according to the flow characteristics. Simulations were performed to determine the humidifier response under both steady-state and transient conditions, and water saturation was observed in the outlet manifold that may affect the humidifier performance. The findings on the effects of the operating conditions and humidifier dimensions on the cathode gas can be used to improve humidifier design and control.
ISSN:1996-1073
1996-1073
DOI:10.3390/en15062113