Performance numerical analysis of thermoelectric generator sizing for integration into a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell
Performance numerical analysis of thermoelectric generator sizing for integration into a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell
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DOI：
10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2020.115486
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发表时间：
2020-09
影响因子：
6.4
通讯作者：
Yongting Shen;T. Kwan;Qinghe Yao
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Yongting Shen;T. Kwan;Qinghe Yao
本文对高温质子交换膜燃料电池(HT-PEMFC)和温差发电机组进行了三维有限元耦合分析。所提出的模型旨在通过实现层流单相流、浓缩物、理想气体定律物理、高温质子交换膜燃料电池的电化学动力学以及热电发生器的热电效应来精确模拟该混合系统。此外，还改变了以热电偶腿数为特征的热电发电机尺寸，以另外分析该参数将如何影响热电发电机和高温质子交换膜燃料电池在相同的353.15℃温度边界条件下的性能，该边界条件代表了家用热水。结果表明，对于7.5×3 cm的燃料电池，增加温差发电机的尺寸也会增加燃料电池的电流密度、发热量和输出功率。然而，使用较大的热电发电机也发现阴极水和氢的浓度分别高出约25%和7%，从寿命的角度来看，这是不利的。此外，采用较小的尺寸，如2对热电偶的热电偶，使热电发电机的输出效率提高到1.2%左右。
This paper presents a three-dimensional finite element analysis that couples the high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) and thermoelectric generator into a single model. The proposed model is aimed to accurately simulate this hybrid system by implementing the laminar one-phase flow, concentrated species, ideal gas law physics, electrochemical dynamics of the HT-PEMFC, and the thermoelectric effect of the thermoelectric generator. Furthermore, the thermoelectric generator size, characterized by the number of thermocouple legs, has also been varied to additionally analyze how this parameter will influence the thermoelectric generator and HT-PEMFC’s performances under an identical 353.15 K temperature boundary condition that is representative of domestic hot water. Results show that, for a 7.5 cm by 3 cm fuel cell, increasing the thermoelectric generator size would also increase the current density, heat generated and the output power of the fuel cell. However, higher cathode water and hydrogen concentrations by around 25% and 7% respectively were also found from using a larger thermoelectric generator, which is not favorable from the lifetime perspective. Moreover, adopting a smaller thermoelectric generator size such as the one with 2 pairs of thermocouples increased the thermoelectric generator’s output efficiency to around 1.2%.