• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.499-504
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• 2009

The effect of gas diffusion layer (GDL) compression caused by different stack clamping pressures on fuel cell performance was experimentally studied in a miniature 5-cell proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack. Three stacks with different GDL compressions, 15%, 35% and 50%, were prepared using SGL 10BC carbon fiber felt GDL and Gore 57 series MEA. The PEMFC stack performance and the stack stability were enhanced with increasing stack clamping pressure resulting in the best performance and stability for the stack with higher GDL compressions up to 50%. The excellent performance of the stack with high GDL compression was mainly due to the reduced contact resistance between GDL and bipolar plate in the stack, while reduced gas permeability of the excessively compressed GDL in the stack hardly affected the stack performance. The high stack clamping pressure also resulted in excessive GDL compression under the rib areas of bipolar plate and large GDL intrusion into the channels of the plate, which reduced the by-pass flow in the channels and increase gas pressure drop in the stack. It seems that these phenomena in the highly compressed stack enhance the water management in the stack and lead to the high stack stability.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.228-235
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• 2021

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are currently being used in various transport applications such as drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, and automobiles. The power required is different according to the type of use, purpose, and the conditions adjusted using a cell stack. The fuel cell stack is compressed to reduce the size and prevent fuel leakage. The unit cells that make up the cell stack are subjected to compression by clamping force, which makes geometrical changes in the porous media and it impacts on cell performance. In this study, finite elements method (FEM) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis for the deformed unit cell considering the effects of clamping force is performed. First, structural analysis using the FEM technique over the deformed gas diffusion layer (GDL) considering compression is carried out, and the resulting porosity changed in the GDL is calculated. The PEMFC model is then verified by a three-dimensional, two-phase fuel cell simulation applying the physical properties and geometry obtained before and after compression. The detailed simulation results showed different concentration distributions of fuel between the original and deformed geometry, resulting in the difference in the distribution of current density is represented at compressed GDL region with low oxygen concentration.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.226-233
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• 2023

In this study, we compared the performance of several refrigeration cycles using different refrigerants and utilizing the cold heat of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the liquefaction of carbon dioxide. The final conditions for the liquefied CO₂ were set to -20℃ and 20 bar. The refrigerants used included R404a, ammonia, propane, and propylene using a vapor recompression refrigeration cycle. For the refrigeration cycle, the CO₂ at room temperature and pressure was compressed in a two-stage compression process with an intermediate cooling stage using a refrigeration unit. To compare with the liquefaction process using refrigeration, we compressed the CO₂ to 8 bar in a single compression stage and cooled it to around -50℃ using the cold heat of the LNG before liquefying it. Results showed that using ammonia as the refrigerant required the least amount of compressor power for the liquefaction process, and the heat transfer area of the evaporator was the smallest when using propylene as the refrigerant. Using the cold heat of LNG instead of refrigeration using R404a resulted in approximately 69% less energy consumption.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.212-215
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• 2023

Diaphragm compressors play a crucial role in safely compressing large volumes of high-purity hydrogen gas without contamination or leakage, thereby ensuring quality and reliability. Diaphragm compressors use a thin, flat, triple-layered diaphragm plate that is subjected to repetitive piston pressure for compression. They are usually made of metallic materials such as stainless steel or Inconel owing to their high-pressure resistance. However, since they are consumable components, they fail due to fatigue from repetitive pressure and vibration stress. This study aims to evaluate the scratch characteristics of diaphragms in operational environments by conducting tests on three different samples: Inconel 718, AISI 301, and Teflon-coated AISI 301. The Inconel 718 sample underwent a polishing process, the AISI 301 sample used raw material, and the Teflon coating was applied to the AISI 301 substrate at a thickness of 50 ㎛. To assess the scratch resistance, reciprocating motion friction tests were performed using a tribometer, utilizing 220 and 2000 grit sandpapers as the counter materials. The results of the friction tests suggested that the Teflon-coated sample exhibited the lowest initial friction coefficient and consistently maintained the lowest average friction coefficient (0.13 and 0.11 with 220 and 2000 grit, respectively) throughout the test. Moreover, the Teflon-coated diaphragm showed minimal wear patterns, indicating superior scratch resistance than the Inconel 718 and AISI 301 samples. These findings suggest that Teflon coatings may offer an effective solution for enhancing scratch resistance in diaphragms, thereby improving compressor performance in high-pressure hydrogen applications.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.5-11
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• 2024

The development of a next-generation hydrogen compressor, a key component in the expansion of hydrogen charging infrastructure, is in progress. In order to improve compression efficiency and durability, it is important to optimize the precision forming and shearing processes of the diaphragm, which is the bellows unit cell, as well as the optimization of diaphragm shape itself. In this study, we aim to show that die and process design technology that can synchronize the inner and outer shearing points of the diaphragm for the precision forming of product can be constructed based on a numerical simulation. First, the damage model that can predict the fracture points will be determined using the shear load and shear zone measurements obtained by performing a blanking test of AISI-633 stainless steel. Next, we will explain the overall procedure based on numerical analysis model how to determine the shearing points according to the deformation pattern of urethane die for various shearing die design.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1050-1056
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• 2010

Diesel engines introduce only air into the cylinder, and the air is high lycompressed. Fuel is directly injected into the combustion chamber in high temperature and pressure. Therefore diesel engines have high thermal efficiency because of the high compression ratio, while having high level of particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions because of the direct fuel injection. Many technologies have been developed to reduce particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel engines. One of the technologies is hydrogen fuel introduced into the combustion chamber with diesel fuel. In this thesis tiny amount of hydrogen is supplied into the combustion chamber in order to enhance the combustion performance. The engine, in which hydrogen is introduced, is tested. There are 20 test conditions given as 5 torque values of 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, 0%, and 4 engine speeds of 700rpm, 1000rpm, 1500rpm and 2000rpm for the two cases with or without hydrogen addition. Maximum torques and Idle torques at each engine speed are measured, then the torque values are divided into 4 levels with 25% increasing step. The result shows that the fuel consumption, smoke, CO are reduced while the NOx emission is slightly increased, and the hydrogen addition has not a great effect on the performance at low loads but a great effect at a maximum load.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.561-566
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• 2008

The reciprocating compressor is widely used in the industry field, because it has simple principle and high efficiency. In this work, in order to improve design of discharge passage line in hydrogen compression system Numerical analysis was conducted. General information about an internal gas flow is presented by numerical analysis approach. Relating with hydrogen compressing system, which have an important role in hydrogen energy utilization, this should be a useful tool to observe the flow quickly and clearly. Flow characteristic analysis, including velocity, pressure and turbulence kinetic energy distribution of hydrogen gas going out from the cylinder to discharge-path line are presented in this paper. Discharge-passage model is designed based on real model of hydrogen compressor. Pressure boundary conditions are applied considering the real condition of operating system. The result shows velocity, pressure and turbulent kinetic energy are not distributed uniformly along the passage of the Hydrogen system. Path line or particles tracks help to demonstrate flow characteristics inside the passage. The existence of vortices and flow direction can be precisely predicted. Based on this result, the design improvement might be done.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.48-56
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• 2023

Currently, Hydrogen compressor is maintained and managed according to the safety management regulations of the operator. But it is not based on technical standards, so it is necessary to establish based on reliability. In this paper, hydrogen compressor taxonomy by ISO 14224 standard reviewed for hydrogen compressor operated by KOGAS-Tech hydrogen vehicle refueling station to establish 9-stage taxonomy, and FMEA was conducted to establish RCM strategy specified in SAE JA1011, and 1012. It is expected that results of taxonomy and RCM strategy will be used as basic data for development of standards for verifying the performance of compressors.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.49-55
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• 2023

This paper presents the design of a re-liquefaction system as a BOG (boil-off gas) handling process in liquid hydrogen transport vessels. The total capacity of the re-liquefaction system was assumed to be 3 ton/day, with a BOR (boil-off rate) of 0.2 %/day inside the cargo. The re-liquefaction cycle was devised using the He-Brayton Cycle, incorporating considerations of BOG capacity and operational stability. The primary components of the system, such as compressors, expanders, and heat exchangers, were selected to meet domestically available specifications. Case studies were conducted based on the specifications of the components to determine the optimal design parameters for the re-liquefaction system. This encompassed variables such as helium mass flow rate, the number of compressors, compressor inlet pressure and compression ratio, as well as the quantity and composition of expanders. Additionally, an analysis of exergy destruction and exergy efficiency was carried out for the components within the system. Remarkably, while previous design studies of BOG re-liquefaction systems for liquid hydrogen vessels were confined to theoretical and analytical realms, this research distinguishes itself by accounting for practical implementation through equipment and system design.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.153-163
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• 2020

Compared to gaeous hydrogen, liquid hydrogen has approximately 1/800 volume, 800 times higher volumetric energy density at the same pressure, and the advantage of lower explosion risk and easier transportation than gaseous hydrogen. However, hydrogen liquefaction requires larger scale facility investment than simple compression storage method. Therefore, the research on energy-saving hydrogen liquefaction processes is highly necessary. In this study, helium/neon (mole ratio 80 : 20) refrigeration cycle was investigated as the main refrigeration process for hydrogen liquefaction. Process simulation for less energy consumption were carried out using PRO/II with PROVISION V10.2 of AVEVA. For hydrogen liquefaction, energy consumption was compared in three cases: Using a helium/neon refrigerant cycle, a SMR+helium/neon refrigerant cycle, and a C3-MR+helium/neon refrigerant cycle. As a result, the total power consumptions of compressors required to liquefy 1 kg of hydrogen are 16.3, 7.03 and 6.64 kWh, respectively. Therefore, it can be deduced that energy usage is greatly reduced in the hydrogen liquefaction process when the pre-cooling is performed using the SMR process or the C3MR process, which have already been commercialized, rather than using only the helium/neon refrigeration cycle for the hydrogen liquefaction process.