Development of a centrifugal fan with increased part-load efficiency for fuel cell applications

verfasst von

Sebastian Burgmann, Tore Fischer, Manuel Rudersdorf, Alexander Roos, Angelika Heinzel, Jörg Seume

Abstract

Centrifugal fans are suitable for the air supply of fuel cells because of their relatively high efficiency and low power consumption. Fuel cells are operated over a broad range of current densities, which is proportional to the air mass flow rate, i.e., the air supply system needs to provide high efficiencies over a wide range of mass flow. To achieve this target, a centrifugal fan equipped with a diffuser and volute with variable cross-sectional area is developed based on numerical simulations (CFD), laser-optical flow measurements (PIV) and performance measurements of the centrifugal fan. The geometrical variability is achieved by a movable backplate of the diffuser and the volute. The variable cross-sectional area of the diffuser and volute allows maintaining high efficiencies and pressure ratios for operating points at off-design. A small diffuser width is suitable for low mass flow rates, and a large diffuser width for high mass flow rates. Thus, efficiency of the centrifugal fan can be increased at part-load operation by up to 7.1% points by appropriately adjusting the diffuser width. As a result the parasitic power consumption of the air supply system is reduced and hence the overall efficiency of the fuel cell system increases.

Organisationseinheit(en)

Institut für Turbomaschinen und Fluid-Dynamik

Externe Organisation(en)

Zentrum für BrennstoffzellenTechnik GmbH (ZBT)
Bergische Universität Wuppertal

Typ

Artikel

Journal

Renewable energy

Band

116

Seiten

815-826

Anzahl der Seiten

12

ISSN

0960-1481

Publikationsdatum

02.2018

Publikationsstatus

Veröffentlicht

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Erneuerbare Energien, Nachhaltigkeit und Umwelt

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

SDG 7 – Erschwingliche und saubere Energie

Elektronische Version(en)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2017.09.075 (Zugang: Geschlossen)