Three-dimensional simulation of a new cooling strategy for proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack using a non-isothermal multiphase model

In this study, a new cooling strategy for a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack is investigated using a three-dimensional (3D) multiphase non-isothermal model. The new cooling strategy follows that of the Honda's Clarity design and further extends to a cooling unit every five cells in stacks. The stack consists of 5 fuel cells sharing the inlet and outlet manifolds for reactant gas flows. Each cell has 7-path serpentine flow fields with a counter-flow configuration arranged for hydrogen and air streams. The coolant flow fields are set at the two sides of the stack and are simplified as the convective heat transfer thermal boundary conditions. This study also compares two thermal boundary conditions, namely limited and infinite coolant flow rates, and their impacts on the distributions of oxygen, liquid water, current density and membrane hydration. The difference of local temperature between these two cooling conditions is as much as 6.9 K in the 5-cell stack, while it is only 1.7 K in a single cell. In addition, the increased vapor concentration at high temperature (and hence water saturation pressure) dilutes the oxygen content in the air flow, reducing local oxygen concentration. The higher temperature in the stack also causes low membrane hydration, and consequently poor cell performance and non-uniform current density distribution, as disclosed by the simulation. The work indicates the new cooling strategy can be optimized by increasing the heat transfer coefficient between the stack and coolant to mitigate local overheating and cell performance reduction

Gravitational Effects of Rotating Bodies

We study two type effects of gravitational field on mechanical gyroscopes (i.e. rotating extended bodies). The first depends on special relativity and equivalence principle. The second is related to the coupling (i.e. a new force) between the spins of mechanical gyroscopes, which would violate the equivalent principle. In order to give a theoretical prediction to the second we suggest a spin-spin coupling model for two mechanical gyroscopes. An upper limit on the coupling strength is then determined by using the observed perihelion precession of the planet's orbits in solar system. We also give predictions violating the equivalence principle for free-fall gyroscopes .Comment: LaTex, 6 page