PERFORMANCE TESTING OF A LIQUID COOLED 5KW
HIGH TEMPERATURE PEM FUEL CELL STACK
SØREN J UHL ANDRE ASEN, ASSO CI ATE PROF ESSO R DEP ART MENT OF E NERG Y T ECHNO LO G Y
AALBORG UNI VERSI TY DENMARK
sja@et.aau.dk
Presentation Outline
• Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University
• High temperature PEM fuel cells
• Reformer system topologies
• Fuel cell stack testing methodology
• Experimental results
• Conclusions
• Future work
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High Temperature PEM Fuel Cells
Advantages
• PBI-based MEAs have a high tolerance to CO
• A liquid fuel, such as methanol is accessible and storable
• Heat can be utilized in fuel conversion
• System energy density increase is ”cheap”
Challenges
• System size and complexity increases
• Impurities are introduced
• System heat-up
Different reformer system topologies using methanol reformers
Reformer system topologies using liquid cooling
• Parallell thermal connection
• Low temperature fuel cell stack cooling/heating system
(160-180oC)
• High temperature reformer cooling/heating system
(230-300oC)
• Burner running on anode waste gas adds heat to reforming process
• Fuel cell stack cathode air exhaust utilized for fuel evaporation
Reformer system topologies using liquid cooling
• Seriel thermal connection
• Cooler inserted to reduce temperature to stack level
• Burner increases temperature from fuel cell stack level to reformer level.
• Special fuel evaporator needed in order to properly exchange heat between various incoming flows.
Fuel cell stack
• 5kW Serenergy fuel cell stack
• 120 cells, 165 cm
2• Trial using Danish Power Systems MEAs
• Challenges:
• New MEA type
• Gaskets
• Coolant leaks
• Customized assembly
Experimental setup
• Greenlight G400 fuel cell test station
• 12 kW electronic load 500V,1000A
• Gas concentration, pressure,
temperature, flow, dew point control of all inlets
• Water balance measurement
• External cooling cart for thermal oil temperature heating/cooling
• Integrated CVM (3rd party)
• Electrochemical characterization using EIS (under development for high voltage stack)
• Automation of reference performance test under various operating conditions.
verified on 18 cell short stack.
Initial CVM
• Pure Hydrogen, ~165oC
• Stack performance
81,6V - 16,3A – 1335W 75,5V – 33,0A – 2493W 70,2V – 49,5A – 3473W 65,8V – 66,8A – 4347W
• Slightly high variance in cell voltage:
Max spread 56mV@49,5A
Several tests, storage time later
3 cells, critical cell reversal -1000mV
75,4V - 18A – 1358W 69,3V - 36A – 2496W
Several tests, storage time later
3 cells removed, thus 0V
76,8V - 18A – 1382W Increased performance even with 3 cells missing 70,5V - 36A – 2539W
Stack start-up
Start-up procedure:
• Avoid too high inlet collant pressure (viscosity of oil)
• Avoid too high temperature difference on stack
• Avoid too much liquid water in stack
• Avoid high potentials on stack to reduced CC
Stack operation
• Limited operation untill 160 degrees
• Enables additional ”electrochemical heating”
• Very stable stack voltage (only excursions are due to dynamic thermal test)
• Fast response to load changes
• Current limited by cooling system
Conclusions
• Successful trial of new MEA type in 5kW stack in fuel cell test station
• Load changes and thermal dynamics examined
• Many initial challenges overcome regarding implementation of new MEAs
• Stack assembly with new MEA thickness
• Leak proofing, gasket choice
• Cell reversal identified, cell removed and processed to further analysis in order to evaluate cause of failure: collant leak, membrane crack, gasket failure, stack assembly, internal short
• Automated testing procedure verified on short stack and ready for trial with full stack
Future work
• Rapid start-up
• Evaluation of shutdown proceedures, evaluating carbon corrosion on stack level
• System control strategy development
• Model based prediction of anode hydrogen availability
• Fuel cell stack and system diagnostics
Recent publications from the group
Comparative study of the break in process of post doped and sol–gel high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells Vang, Jakob Rabjerg; Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Araya, Samuel Simon; Kær, Søren Knudsen
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 39, No. 27, 09.2014, p. 14959–14968
Parametric Sensitivity Tests—European Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Stack Test Procedures Araya, Samuel Simon; Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Kær, Søren Knudsen
Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology Vol. 11, No. 6, FC-14-1067, 12.2014
Performance and endurance of a high temperature PEM fuel cell operated on methanol reformate Araya, Samuel Simon; Grigoras, Ionela; Zhou, Fan; Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Kær, Søren Knudsen International Journal of Hydrogen Energy Vol. 39, No. 32, 31.10.2014, p. 18343–18350
Test of hybrid power system for electrical vehicles using a lithium-ion battery pack and a reformed methanol fuel cell range extender Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Ashworth, Leanne; Sahlin, Simon Lennart; Jensen, Hans-Christian Becker; Kær, Søren Knudsen
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy Vol. 39, No. 4, 22.01.2014, p. 1856-1863.Research - peer-review › Journal article
Thermal modeling and temperature control of a PEM fuel cell system for forklift applications Liso, Vincenzo; Nielsen, Mads Pagh; Kær, Søren Knudsen; Mortensen, Henrik H.
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 39, No. 16, 27.05.2014, p. 8410–8420.
Control and experimental characterization of a methanol reformer for a 350 W high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell system Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Kær, Søren Knudsen; Sahlin, Simon Lennart.
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 38, No. 3, 06.02.2013, p. 1676-1684.
Dynamic Modeling of a Reformed Methanol Fuel Cell System using Empirical Data and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System Models Justesen, Kristian Kjær; Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Shaker, Hamid Reza.
Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology, Vol. 11, No. 2, 04.12.2013.
Evaluation of Fuel-Cell Range Extender Impact on Hybrid Electrical Vehicle Performance
Jensen, Hans-Christian Becker; Schaltz, Erik; Koustrup, Per Sune; Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Kær, Søren Knudsen I E E E Transactions on Vehicular Technology, Vol. 62, No. 1, 01.2013, p. 50-60
Gas composition modeling in a reformed Methanol Fuel Cell system using adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Systems Justesen, Kristian Kjær; Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Shaker, Hamid Reza; Ehmsen, Mikkel Præstholm; Andersen, John.
In: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 38, No. 25, 21.08.2013, p. 10577-10584
