Performance enhancement in a H2/O2 PEMFC with dual-ejector recirculation

Abstract

Water management in various components of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a significant and challenging issue affecting output performance. PEMFC utilizing dual ejector-based recirculation has been developed to evaluate and improve the performance and water transport properties. A detailed investigation into the effects of ejector operating conditions, such as primary flow pressure and secondary flow relative humidity, on the performance of PEMFC is conducted. The results show that significant performance improvement of PEMFC can be achieved by increasing the operating pressure. The power density can be increased by 37.8% and 86.5% with ejector primary flow pressures of 300 and 400 kPa, respectively. Furthermore, an optimization strategy integrating PEMFC operating condition is proposed to ensure the stability and lifespan of performance. The water management and integration optimization strategy obtained in this paper can provide valuable insight into options for improving the performance of PEMFC with dead-ended anode and cathode. • A multi-phase simulation of PEMFC with dual ejector-based recirculation was studied. • Water flooding can be mitigated by adding an ejector in PEMFC recirculation system. • The power density at 0.7 V can be increased by 37.5% with the ejector. • An optimization strategy integrating PEMFC operating conditions was proposed.