• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.6-13
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• 2012

This paper describes unsteady internal flow characteristics of a cathode air blower, used for the 1 kW fuel cell system. The cathode air blower considered in the present study is a diaphragm type blower. To analyze the flow field inside the diaphragm cavity, compressible unsteady numerical simulation is performed. Moving mesh system is applied to the numerical analysis for describing the volume change of the diaphragm cavity in time. Throughout a numerical simulation by modeling the inlet and outlet valves in a diaphragm cavity, unsteady nature of an internal flow is successfully analyzed. Variations of mass flow rate, force and pressure on the lower moving plate of a diaphragm cavity are evaluated in time. The computed mass flow rate at the same pressure and rotating frequency of a motor has a maximum of 5 percent error with the experimental data. It is found that flow pattern at the suction process is more complex compared to that at the discharge process. Unsteady nature of internal flow in the cathode air blower is analyzed in detail.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.90.2-90.2
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• 2011

This paper describes performance enhancement of a fuel cell's blower by controlling flow path. Different duct diameter at the inlet and outlet of the blower is selected for reducing blower noise level and input power. Hole diameter and the number of hole at the check valve are tested to reduce the input power of the blower. Two types of blower, fuel pressurized blower and cathode blower, are considered in the present study. Throughout experimental measurements of the test blowers, it is found that duct diameter is effective to reduce noise level and input power in the fuel cell blower. Noise reduction due to the optimal duct diameter at the outlet is more effective when flow rate is relatively large. That is, cathode blower has larger noise reduction compared to fuel pressurized blower because of larger flower rate. Input power of the blower can be reduced by controlling the hole diameter and the number of hole at the check valve.