Thermal Management in Fuel Cell Systems
Summary
Thermal management is central to the performance, durability and efficiency of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Approximately half of the electrochemical energy in these devices is released as heat, arising from reaction overpotentials, Ohmic resistance and mass‐transport losses. If not removed uniformly, this heat can lead to membrane dehydration, catalyst degradation and uneven current distribution, ultimately undermining power output and lifespan. Strategies span active and passive approaches, including liquid and air cooling circuits, evaporative cooling, micro‐channel cooling plates and phase‐change materials. Precise thermal control systems regulate coolant flow rate and temperature, often using advanced control algorithms to accommodate transient loads and cold‐start conditions. In parallel, waste heat recovery pathways—such as organic Rankine cycles or direct heat utilisation—are being developed to enhance overall system efficiency. Materials engineering, from optimised gas diffusion layers to high‐conductivity interfacial layers, further contributes to managing heat flux and ensuring temperature uniformity across fuel cell stacks. These integrated approaches are pivotal for automotive, stationary and portable fuel cell applications worldwide.
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Thermal Management in Fuel Cell Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in thermal management in fuel cell systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC): Electrochemical device that converts hydrogen and oxygen directly into electricity, with a polymer membrane as electrolyte.
Heat flux: Rate of heat energy transfer per unit area within fuel cell components.
Cooling plate: Metal or composite plate with designed flow channels to extract heat from the fuel cell stack.
Thermal conductivity: Material property indicating the ability to conduct heat through solid components.
Waste heat recovery (WHR): Techniques that capture excess thermal energy from a fuel cell for secondary uses such as power generation or heating.
Evaporative cooling: Cooling method where liquid water evaporates in flow channels, absorbing heat and humidifying the cell.
References
- Advancements and prospects of thermal management and waste heat recovery of PEMFC. International Journal of Thermofluids (2021).
- A Review on Temperature Control of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. Processes (2021).
- Modeling and Simulation of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Alongside a Waste Heat Recovery System Based on the Organic Rankine Cycle in MATLAB/SIMULINK Environment. Sustainability (2021).
- Design and numerical investigation of multi-channel cooling plate for proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Energy Reports (2022).
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