Enhancing the Energy Efficiency of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell with a Dead-Ended Anode Using a Buffer Tank

Trung-Huong Tran, Karthik Kannan (), Amornchai Arpornwichanop and Yong-Song Chen ()
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Trung-Huong Tran: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Advanced Institute of Manufacturing with High-tech Innovations, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 621301, Taiwan
Karthik Kannan: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Advanced Institute of Manufacturing with High-tech Innovations, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 621301, Taiwan
Amornchai Arpornwichanop: Center of Excellence in Process and Energy Systems Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Yong-Song Chen: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Advanced Institute of Manufacturing with High-tech Innovations, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 621301, Taiwan

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-14

Abstract: Enhancing energy efficiency is essential for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) operating in a dead-ended anode (DEA) mode. This study proposes the integration of a buffer tank, positioned between the mass flow meter and the fuel cell, to reduce hydrogen loss during purge events. The buffer tank stores hydrogen when the purge valve is closed and releases it when the valve opens, thereby stabilizing anode pressure, minimizing hydrogen waste, and improving overall system efficiency. The effectiveness of the buffer tank is experimentally evaluated under varying load currents, hydrogen supply pressures, purge intervals, and purge durations. The objective is to determine the optimal purge duration that maximizes energy efficiency, both with and without the buffer tank. The results show that the buffer tank consistently improves energy efficiency. Under optimal conditions (0.1 bar, 8 A, 0.1 s purge duration, and 20 s purge interval), efficiency increases by 3.3%. Under non-optimal conditions (0.1 bar, 1 A, 0.1 s purge duration, and 20 s interval), the improvement reaches 71.9%, demonstrating the buffer tank’s effectiveness in stabilizing performance across a wide range of operating conditions.

Keywords: PEMFCs; dead-ended anode; purge valve control; stack stable (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: 2025
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