| Analysis of operating characteristics of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell coupled with an air supply system Seung Won Ji, No Sung Myung, Tong Seop Kim*
The Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, vol. 25, no. 4, pp.945-955, 2011
Abstract : Balance-of-plant components, especially the air supply system, have a critical impact on the operating condition, performance, and reliability
of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFCs). Thus, we investigated the performance and operating characteristics of a coupled
system integrating a PEMFC and an air supply unit. The performance characteristics of the fuel cell stack were modeled using a semiexperimental
correlation, and the operating characteristics of a shell-and-tube type membrane humidifier was modeled using heat and
mass transfer principles. The models of both components were validated. A turbo-blower determined the condition of the air supplied to
the humidifier and its characteristics were modeled using a performance map. A program was developed to simulate the operation of a
PEMFC system consisting of the fuel cell stack and the air supply unit, and its operating characteristics at various conditions were investigated.
In particular, the effects of operating conditions (ambient temperature and load) on the performance of both the humidifier and
the fuel cell stack were examined, and the variations of critical operating parameters were analyzed.
Keyword :
Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC); Membrane humidifier; Blower; Voltage; Humidity; Power; Efficiency
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