Fuel Cell Stack Cooling Channel Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel cell stacks experience cooling temperature deviations due to increased cross-sectional areas of cooling flow paths caused by protruding partition walls, leading to reduced performance and operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell stack design featuring a flat-type cathode separator that covers cooling channels and incorporates a porous structural unit with partition walls, ensuring uniform coolant flow and minimizing temperature deviations, while also increasing humidity at the cathode inlet without a separate humidifier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If partition walls protrude from the separator to divide porous members, then the porous members can be independently disposed and manufactured, but the cross-sectional area of the cooling flow path increases causing cooling temperature deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The partition wall is repositioned from protruding into the cooling flow path to being integrated at the boundary of the porous member. This dimensional repositioning removes the partition wall from the cooling flow path's cross-sectional area while maintaining its function of dividing and positioning multiple porous members independently.
2Productivity
If multiple porous members are disposed separately on the separator, then diffusion of reactant gas and water discharge are improved, but cooling temperature deviation occurs due to increased cooling flow path area
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling flow path is designed with locally varied cross-sectional areas. The cross-sectional area is increased at positions corresponding to the porous members (where more cooling is needed) and maintained at original areas in other positions, creating non-uniform local cooling characteristics that match the heat generation distribution.
3Speed
If the cross-sectional area of cooling flow path is increased at overlap portions, then coolant flow is facilitated, but substantial amount of coolant flows in non-overlapping portions causing local temperature deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-sectional area parameter of the cooling flow path is dynamically adjusted based on position. It is increased at positions corresponding to porous members to enhance cooling where heat generation is high, and maintained at standard areas elsewhere, preventing excessive coolant flow and temperature deviation in non-critical regions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design maintains uniform coolant flow, minimizes temperature deviations, enhances performance and operational efficiency, and increases humidity at the cathode inlet, thereby improving overall fuel cell stack performance without additional humidification systems.
Implementation Method 1
facilitating diffusion of reactant gas
Implementation Method 2
cooling flow paths through which a coolant passes
Implementation Method 3
produce electricity by an oxidation-reduction reaction between hydrogen and oxygen
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell stack includes a reaction layer having a MEA, an anode separator having a gas channel formed at a first side facing the reaction layer and through which a first reactant gas flows, and a cooling channel formed at a second side and through which a coolant flows. The anode separator abuts the reaction layer. A cathode separator abuts anode separator so that a first side of the cathode separator covers the cooling channel. A porous structural unit has a partition wall protruding from the second side of the cathode separator and has a flow path for a second reactant gas to minimize a cooling temperature deviation and improve operational efficiency.