Session: 03-07 Design of Fuel Cells-Based Power & Propulsion Systems for Different Applications: Automotive, Aircraft, Power Generation

Paper Number: 83727

83727 - Design of Fuel Cells-Based Power & Propulsion Systems for Different Applications: Automotive, Aircraft, Power Generation 

AUDIENCE

Engineers who have some experience with turbomachinery but need to expand their skillset to fuel cell technologies and the unique sets of parameters and design aspects pertinent specifically to fuel cell applications. Students who have some familiarity with turbomachinery but are new to fuel cell applications will also find useful contents.

 

 

TUTORIAL DESCRIPTION

With the emergence of hydrogen as an important energy transport medium, fuel cells have become a technology of hot interest in electrified industries, including power generation, automotive and transportation, and aerospace propulsion. The use of fuel cells in fact is an intermediate between traditional power trains and battery-electric applications in automotive and aerospace because the hydrogen fuel can be quickly filled, is light compared to batteries, and the resulting fuel cell system power density is much closer to the incumbent power train technologies than fully battery technologies. However, fuel cell systems rely on turbomachinery as a core component in both providing required flow streams as well as extracting the full energy potential from the system.

 

While many practitioners of turbomachinery have strong background in applying turbomachinery design and analysis to incumbent traditional power systems, the relatively newer fuel cell technologies often have very different operating regimes that engineers and operators should know to effectively design and operate such systems. This tutorial is aimed specifically to introduce the unique aspects of fuel cell technologies that enable both theoretical researchers and practitioners of these systems to maximally utilize their design experience.

 

The fuel cell is demystified by starting at the very fundamentals of fuel cell electrochemistry, proceeding to thermodynamic characterization and modelling of fuel cell systems, and discussing how system architectures can be optimally designed for such systems. Simple modelling techniques will be shown that enable practitioners to model and predict the performance of a system at design and off-design operating conditions. Elements of turbomachinery design as it applies to fuel cell systems will also be briefly covered. Finally, the specific application of fuel cell system modelling in automatic, aerospace, and power generation will be discussed, with some case studies of existing system designs presented.

 

TUTORIAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Participants in this tutorial will be able to understand and describe the key system-level parameters that are pertinent in the design of fuel cell power trains. Participants who complete the tutorial will be capable to specify main system and component parameters for fuel cell systems, including the turbomachinery, optimized toward their applications such as automotive, aircraft, and power generation. Participants will be able to understand and use basic computer models to analyse fuel cells and system under various conditions and applications.

 

CONTENT AND OUTLINE

1.      Introduction

1.1.   Fuel cells in context with existing systems

1.2.   System architectures

2.      Fundamentals

2.1.   Fuel Cells

2.1.1.      Types of fuel cells

2.1.1.1.            PEM

2.1.1.2.            SOFC

2.1.1.3.            MCFC

2.1.1.4.            Others

2.1.2.      Electrochemistry considerations

2.1.2.1.            Reactions – kinetics and thermodynamics

2.1.2.2.            FC losses

2.1.2.3.            Other key parameter relationships

2.1.3.      Thermofluid considerations

2.1.3.1.            Stoichiometric balances

2.1.3.2.            Temperature control

2.1.3.3.            Energy and mass balances

2.1.4.      Model development

2.1.4.1.            Types of modelling (literature review)

2.1.4.2.            Key parameter identification

2.1.4.3.            A useful 1D model

2.1.5.      System modelling

2.1.5.1.            External components

2.2.   Turbomachinery

2.2.1.      Compressors for fuel cells

2.2.2.      Expanders for fuel cells

2.2.3.      System design

3.      Applications

3.1.   General system architectures

3.2.   Stationary power generation

3.3.   Automotive and transportation

3.4.   Aerospace

4.      Case Studies (from literature) - Power Gen, Automotive and Aerospace Examples

 

Requested slot = 2 hours

Expected audience ~ 50 people

 

REFERENCES

[1] An overview of fuel cell technology: Fundamentals and applications

[2] Modeling and control for PEM fuel cell stack system

[3] A mathematical model of the Solid-Polymer-Electrolyte fuel cell

[4] An evaluation of turbocharging and supercharging options for high-efficiency fuel cell electric vehicles

[5] A comparison of two fuel cell air compression systems at low load

[6] Tailored centrifugal turbomachinery for electric fuel cell turbocharger

[7] Fuel cell system modeling and analysis (Argonne National Laboratory)

Presenting Author: Vlad Goldenberg SoftInWay, Inc.

Presenting Author Biography: Vlad Goldenberg joined SoftInWay after completing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. His doctoral research involved the development of a novel aerodynamic synthesis method for a centrifugal compressor stage, and integrated CFD with optimization, AI, and machine learning. Vlad’s research interests are in the areas of computation and modeling of thermal and fluid systems to solve complex engineering problems. Vlad has been a practitioner of turbomachinery analysis and design for over a decade. He implemented analysis methods on axial power generation gas turbines and steam turbines, also involving complete thermal engineering on the entire power generating process. He also developed centrifugal compressors for HVAC chillers, incorporating thermal modeling of the cycle into the design of the flow path, culminating in preliminary design through a full CFD analysis of compressor stages.

Authors:

Clement Joly Softinway, Inc
Vlad Goldenberg SoftInWay, Inc.
Leonid Moroz SoftInWay, Inc