Investigating and comparing the performance of air-air and air-hydrogen membrane humidifier in the fuel cell application

علوم کاربردی و محاسباتی در مکانیک

Article 5, Volume 37, Issue 3 - Serial Number 41, October 2025, Pages 79-94   

Document Type: Original Article

DOI: 10.22067/jacsm.2025.90687.1297

Authors

Moeteza Moosavi Zahed; Ebrahim Afshari^*

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Isfahan

Abstract

One of the methods of water management in PEM fuel cells is the humidification of gases, which has a great impact on the performance of the fuel cell. In this study, modeling of a membrane humidifier with moist air and for two gases, hydrogen and air on the dry side, and the effect of the flow rate on the dry and wet side on the moisture percentage of the dry side output, temperature dew point, water transfer rate and water recycling ratio were investigated. The results show that in a constant flow on the wet side, with an increase in the flow on the dry side, the dew point temperature difference in hydrogen and air decreases and the transfer rate and water recycling ratio increase. In a constant flow rate on the dry side, with an increase in the flow rate on the wet side, the dew point temperature difference in hydrogen and air increases and the transfer rate and water recycling ratio decrease.

Keywords

Membrane humidifier; Fuel cell; Heat transfer; relative humidity; Water transmission ratio

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