Experimental Study on Temperature Characteristics and Output Performance of Pemfcs Based on Hfe-7100 Boiling Cooling

Abstract

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a promising clean energy technology; however, effective thermal management remains a significant challenge, particularly at high power densities where temperature imbalances can severely impact stack performance and longevity. Boiling cooling technology is well-suited to meet the cooling requirements of PEMFCs; however, its application in practical fuel cell stacks has not been fully explored. This study developed a performance testing platform to examine the temperature characteristics and output performance of PEMFCs under boiling cooling conditions. Temperature uniformity is evaluated using the wall temperature difference (Td) and the temperature uniformity index (TUI), with particular attention to the effects of coolant inlet temperature and mass flux. The study systematically examines the impact of five critical operational parameters, including coolant inlet temperature, mass flux, hydrogen flow rate, humidification temperature, and exhaust back pressure, on the performance of the PEMFCs. It also compares these findings with those of single-phase cooling systems. The results demonstrate that boiling cooling significantly improved the temperature uniformity, especially at high current densities. Compare to single-phase cooling, boiling cooling exhibited superior cooling capacity, ensuring stable output at high power densities. Moreover, a careful control of hydrogen flow rate, humidification temperature, and exhaust back pressure is found to improve reaction efficiency and prevent issues such as membrane dehydration or flooding. These findings validate the effectiveness of boiling cooling technology in PEMFCs thermal management and underscore the importance of optimizing operational parameters to further enhance fuel cell performance.

Keywords: PEMFCs, Thermal management, boiling cooling, Temperature, output performance, TUI