Numerical simulation of heat pipe-PEM fuel cell coupling and investigating the effect of geometrical parameters on the thermal performance of fuel cell

علوم کاربردی و محاسباتی در مکانیک

Article 5, Volume 37, Issue 1 - Serial Number 39, April 2025, Pages 71-90   

Document Type: Original Article

DOI: 10.22067/jacsm.2024.88572.1272

Authors

Ebrahim Afshari^{* 1}; Mahdi Mortazavi²; Elnaz Zohravi¹

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Isfahan.

²Department of Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Isfahan.

Abstract

Heat management in the polymer membrane fuel cell is very necessary in order to achieve the maximum suitable temperature and temperature distribution inside the cell. The heat pipe, with its unique features and no power consumption, is a very suitable option for cooling and heat management of the fuel cell. In this article, in the first step, by presenting the governing equations of the heat pipe, the simulation of the heat pipe is dealt with separately. In the second step, the heat pipe(s) are installed inside the fuel cell and the modeling of the heat pipe-fuel cell coupling and the effect of the installation position and the number of heat pipes inside the fuel cell for its cooling are discussed. The results show that for the selected fuel cell, 1 heat pipe is not suitable (the maximum temperature of the cell is 396 K) and 2 heat pipes are needed. By installing 2 pipes symmetrically with a distance of 25 mm from the side of the fuel cell and 25 mm from the center, the maximum temperature of the fuel cell becomes 361 Kelvin, which reduces the maximum temperature in the fuel cell compared to other positions of installing the pipes.. This shows that the symmetrical placement of the pipes reduced the maximum temperature and creates a more uniform distribution of the temperature on the fuel cell.

Keywords

Polymer membrane fuel cell; cooling; temperature distribution; heat pipe

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