Design and Optimization of a Double Pipe Heat Exchanger for Cooling of an Alkaline Fuel Cell System

In the presented research, heat transfer of a mobile electrolyte alkaline fuel cell or AFC (which the electrolyte has cooling role of system) has considered. Firstly, proper control volumes of system with specific qualification have chosen. Afterwards heat and mass transfer in control volumes have assessed. Considerations on them and contributed models lead to approve a double tube heat exchanger as energy sink. Design of this heat exchanger is depended on heat transfer condition and related equations. A composite system of alkaline fuel cell and peripheral equipment has spot. Then the equations of all steps have integrated. Furthermore, the optimization codes have developed to propose best operation point of system with minimizing total cost and determining the heat exchanger dimensions, flow rates and temperatures. In the results optimum electrolyte outlet temperature obtained 73oC; optimum inlet temperature was calculated 40oC; and the heat exchanger total area with minimizing the cost model is rendered to 0.07 m2. Finally, parametric analysis for variation of temperature, length and diameter of heat exchanger, pressure drop, total cost and performance of planned combined system has studied. It has seen that cooling of system is very important because the efficiency of system reduces toward temperatures rising.

کلیدواژه ها:

Alkaline fuel cell (AFC) ، Cooling ، Heat transfer ، Heat exchanger ، Cost model