Study on Fast Cold Start-Up Method of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Based on Electric Heating Technology

Wei Jiang, Ke Song, Bailin Zheng, Yongchuan Xu and Ruoshi Fang
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Wei Jiang: School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Ke Song: School of Automotive Studies, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Bailin Zheng: School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Yongchuan Xu: School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Ruoshi Fang: School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-26

Abstract: In order to realize the low temperature and rapid cold start-up of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack, a dynamic model containing 40 single proton exchange membrane fuel cells is established to estimate the melting time of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack as well as to analyze the melting process of the ice by using the obtained liquid–solid boundary. The methods of proton exchange membrane electric heating and electrothermal film heating are utilized to achieve cold start-up of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The fluid simulation software fluent is used to simulate and analyze the process of melting ice. The solidification and melting model and multi-phase flow model are introduced. The pressure-implicit with splitting of operators algorithm is also adopted. The results show that both the proton exchange membrane electric heating technology and the electrothermal film heating method can achieve rapid cold start-up. The interior ice of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack melts first, while the first and 40th pieces melt afterwards. The ice melting time of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack is 32.5 s and 36.5 s with the two methods, respectively. In the end, the effect of different electrothermal film structures on cold start-up performance is studied, and three types of pore diameter electrothermal films are established. It is found that the electrothermal film with small holes melts completely first, and the electrothermal film with large holes melts completely last.

Keywords: proton exchange membrane fuel cell; cold start-up; proton exchange membrane; multi-phase flow; electrothermal film (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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