Experimental and numerical study on thermal management of air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack with micro heat pipe arrays

In this study, micro-heat pipe arrays (MHPAs) are integrated into air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) to enhance their load level and heat dissipation. Experiments are carried out to compare the relevant thermal performance of the stack consisting of 50 units at different operating conditions. A three-dimensional, non-isothermal, and steady-state numerical model of a single cell in the stack is then established to analyze the effect of a MHPA on the electrochemical parameters within the cell. The results of the experiments show that the load level of the stack with MHPAs is 40 % higher than that without MHPAs near the limit temperature. Meanwhile, the average temperature of the stack with MHPAs is 8.3 degrees C lower than that without MHPAs at 33 A, and MHPAs make the temperature more uniform. Numerical study shows that the decrease of cell temperature by MHPA enables the proton exchange membrane to maintain better hydration and higher current density. At an operating voltage of 0.628 V, the average temperature in the membrane of a single cell with MHPA is 8.8 degrees C lower than that of PEMFC, and the average water content and current density are 2.01 and 241.06 A/m2 higher than those without MHPA, respectively.

Automated summary

In this study, micro-heat pipe arrays (MHPAs) are integrated into air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) to improve their load capacity and heat dissipation. Experimental results show that the stack with MHPAs has a 40% higher load capacity and a more uniform temperature distribution. Numerical analysis also reveals that the presence of MHPA allows the proton exchange membrane to maintain better hydration and higher current density.