TY - JOUR
T1 - Pressure drop and flow distribution in parallel-channel configurations of fuel cells
T2 - Z-type arrangement
AU - Wang, Junye
N1 - Funding Information:
North Wyke Research is supported by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The Author would like to thank editors and reviewers for their comments and suggestions.
PY - 2010/6
Y1 - 2010/6
N2 - A general theoretical model based on mass and momentum conservation has been developed to solve the flow distribution and the pressure drop in Z-type configurations of fuel cells. While existing models neglected either friction term or inertial term, the present model takes both of them into account. The governing equation of the Z-type arrangement was formulated to an inhomogeneous version of the U-type one. Thus, main existing models have been unified to one theoretical framework. The analytical solutions are fully explicit that they are easily used to predict pressure drop and flow distribution for Z-type layers or stacks and provide easy-to-use design guidance under a wide variety of combination of flow conditions and geometrical parameters to investigate the interactions among structures, operating conditions and manufacturing tolerance and to minimize the impact on stack operability. The results can also be used for the design guidance of flow distribution and pressure drop in other manifold systems, such as plate heat exchanges, plate solar collectors, distributors of fluidised bed and boiler headers.
AB - A general theoretical model based on mass and momentum conservation has been developed to solve the flow distribution and the pressure drop in Z-type configurations of fuel cells. While existing models neglected either friction term or inertial term, the present model takes both of them into account. The governing equation of the Z-type arrangement was formulated to an inhomogeneous version of the U-type one. Thus, main existing models have been unified to one theoretical framework. The analytical solutions are fully explicit that they are easily used to predict pressure drop and flow distribution for Z-type layers or stacks and provide easy-to-use design guidance under a wide variety of combination of flow conditions and geometrical parameters to investigate the interactions among structures, operating conditions and manufacturing tolerance and to minimize the impact on stack operability. The results can also be used for the design guidance of flow distribution and pressure drop in other manifold systems, such as plate heat exchanges, plate solar collectors, distributors of fluidised bed and boiler headers.
KW - Flow distribution
KW - Fuel cell stack
KW - Maldistribution
KW - Manifold
KW - Parallel channels
KW - Pressure drop
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955304278&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2010.02.131
DO - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2010.02.131
M3 - Journal Article
AN - SCOPUS:77955304278
SN - 0360-3199
VL - 35
SP - 5498
EP - 5509
JO - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
JF - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
IS - 11
ER -