• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.3191-3196
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• 2007

The present study addresses a method to operate a fuel-cell system effectively using a recirculation ejector which recycles wasted hydrogen gas. Configuration of a recirculation ejector is changed to investigate the flow behavior through it under varying operating conditions, and how such conditions affect the fuel-cell hydrogen cycle. The numerical simulations are based on a fully implicit finite volume scheme of the axisymmetric, compressible, Reynolds-Averaged, Navier-Stokes equations for hydrogen gas, and are compared with available experimental data for validation. The results show that a hydrogen recirculation ratio is effectively controlled by a configurational alteration within the operational region in which the recirculation passage doesn't plugged by a sonic line.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.481-487
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• 2011

A fuel cell vehicle using a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEM FC) as power source produces electric power by consuming the fuel, hydrogen. The unconsumed hydrogen is recirculated and reused to gain higer stack efficiency and to maintain the humidity in the anode side of the stack. So it is needed considering fuel efficiency to recirculated hydrogen. In this study, the indirect hydrogen recirculation flow rate measurement method for fuel cell vehicle is presented. By modeling of a convergent nozzle ejector and a hydrogen recirculation blower for the hydrogen recirculation of a PEM FC, the hydrogen recirculation flow rate was calculated by means of the mass balance and heat balance at Anode In/Outlet.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.118-123
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• 2008

For the hydrogen recirculation system of the PEMFC (polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell), the ejector is useful to improve the efficiency of the fuel cell system. However, conventional ejector does not keep its entrainment ratio good when the various power duties is required by the fuel cell system. In this study, the variable multi-ejector acceptable in the whole duty range required from the fuel cell hybrid mini-bus is developed. Consequently, the performance of the developed ejector is verified by the experiments based on the real operating conditions.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.534-541
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• 2021

In this study, a novel microwave-matrix reformer was proposed to convert CH₄, which is a major component, to a high quality hydrogen energy. And to identify this performance, it was investigated for O₂/C ratio, steam feed amount and reformed gas recirculation which are affected for methane conversion and product gas yield. Through the parametric screening studies, optimal operating conditions were that O₂/C ratio, steam feed amount and recirculation rate were 1.1, 10 mL/min and 30 L/min. In this conditions, CH₄ conversion was 68.1%, H₂ selectivity 77.2 and H₂/CO ratio 2.62 which are possible applying SOFC stack for RPG (residential power generator).

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.29 no.5 s.236
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• pp.554-560
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• 2005

A new method to improve the efficiency of a hydrogen fuel cell system was introduced by using variable sonic/supersonic ejectors. To obtain the variable area ratio of the nozzle throat to ejector throat which controls the mass flow rate of the suction flow, the ejectors used a movable cylinder inserted into a conventional ejector-diffuser system. Experiments were carried out to understand the flow characteristics inside the variable ejector system. The secondary mass flow rates of subsonic and supersonic ejectors were examined by varying the operating pressure ratio and area ratio. The results showed that the variable sonic/supersonic ejectors could control the recirculation ratio by changing the throat area ratio, and also showed that the recirculation ratio increased fur the variable sonic ejector and decreased for the variable supersonic ejector, as the throat area ratio increases.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.156-160
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• 2007

Ejector system is a device to transport a low-pressure secondary flow by using a high-pressure primary flow. Ejector system is, in general, composed of a primary nozzle, a mixing section, a casing part for suction of secondary flow and a diffuser. It can induce the secondary flow or affect the secondary chamber pressure by both shear stress and pressure drop which are generated in the primary jet boundary. Ejector system is simple in construction and has no moving parts, so it can not only compress and transport a massive capacity of fluid without trouble, but also has little need for maintenance. Ejectors are widely used in a range of applications such as a turbine-based combined-cycle propulsion system and a high altitude test facility for rocket engine, pressure recovery system, desalination plant and ejector ramjet etc. The primary interest of this study is to set up an applicable model and operating conditions for an ejector in the condition of sonic and subsonic, which can be extended to the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Experimental and theoretical investigation on the sonic and subsonic ejectors with a converging-diverging diffuser was carried out. Optimization technique and numerical simulation was adopted for an optimal geometry design and satisfying the required performance at design point of ejector for hydrogen recirculation. Also, some sonic and subsonic ejectors with the function of changing nozzle position were manufactured precisely and tested for the comparison with the calculation results.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.03b
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• pp.256-259
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• 2008

Ejector system is a device to transport a low-pressure secondary flow by using a high-pressure primary flow. Ejector system is, in general, composed of a primary nozzle, a mixing section, a casing part for suction of secondary flow and a diffuser. It can induce the secondary flow or affect the secondary chamber pressure by both shear stress and pressure drop which are generated in the primary jet boundary. Ejector system is simple in construction and has no moving parts, so it can not only compress and transport a massive capacity of fluid without trouble, but also has little need for maintenance. Ejectors are widely used in a range of applications such as a turbine-based combined-cycle propulsion system and a high altitude test facility for rocket engine, pressure recovery system, desalination plant and ejector ramjet etc. The primary interest of this study is to set up an applicable model and operating conditions for an ejector in the condition of sonic and subsonic, which can be extended to the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Experimental and theoretical investigation on the sonic and subsonic ejectors with a converging-diverging diffuser was carried out. Optimization technique and numerical simulation was adopted for an optimal geometry design and satisfying the required performance at design point of ejector for hydrogen recirculation. Also, some ejectors with a various of nozzle throat and mixing chamber diameter were manufactured precisely and tested for the comparison with the calculation results.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.193-197
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• 2010

In terms of the system efficiency, it is very useful to apply the ejector into the fuel recirculation system of a fuel cell system since the ejector needs no parasitic power to operate. Since the conventional automotive fuel cell use hydrogen and air as their fuel, the only hydrogen is needed to be recirculated for the better fuel efficiency. On the other hand, the submarine fuel cell needs both hydrogen and oxygen recirculation systems because the submarine drives under the sea. In particular, the cathodic recirculation has to meet the tougher target since the oxygen based pressurized stack generally used in the submarine applications generates the significant amount of the water in the stack during the operation. Namely, the oxygen utilization has designed less than 50% in the whole operating range for the better exhausting of the generated waters. And thereby in terms of the oxygen utilization, the entrainment ratio of the ejector should be more than 1 within the whole operating range. However, the conventional ejector using a constant nozzle can not afford to satisfy the mentioned critical requirement. To overcome the problem, the dual-ejector and its control strategy are designed. The performance of the proposed dual-ejector is verified by the experiments based on the real operating conditions of the target submarine system. Furthermore, the proposed design method can be used for the other fuel recirculation system of a large-scale fuel cell system with the critical requirement of the fuel utilization.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.83-89
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• 2002

The goal of this research is to understand the NOx emission in direct injected diesel engine with premixed hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen fuel was supplied into the test engine through the intake pipe. Amount of hydrogen-supplemented fuel was 70 % basis on heating value of the total input fuel. The effects of intake air temperature and exhaust gas recirculation(EGR) on NOx emission were studied. The intake air temperatures were varied from $23^{\circ}C$ to $0^{\circ}C$ by using liquid nitrogen. Also, the exhaust gas was recirculated to the intake manifold and the amount of exhaust gas was controlled by the valve. The major conclusions of this work include: ( i ) nitrogen concentrations in the intake pipe were increased by 30% and cylinder gas temperature was decreased by 24% as the intake air temperature were changed from $23^{\circ}C$ to $0^{\circ}C$; ( ii ) NOx emission per unit heating value of supplied fuel was decreased by 45% with same decrease of intake air temperature; and (iii) NOx emission was decreased by 77% with 30% of EGR ratio. Therefore, it may be concluded that EGR is effective method to lower NOx emission in hydrogen fueled engine.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2000

The goals of this research are to understand the $NO_x$ emission in direct injected diesel engine with premixed hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen fuel was supplied into the test engine through the intake pipe. Amount of hydrogen-supplemented fuel was 70 percent basis heating value of the total fuel. The effects of exhaust gas recirculation(EGR) on $NO_x$ emission were studied. The exhaust gas was recirculated to the intake manifold and the amount of exhaust gas was controlled by the valve. The major conclusions of this work include: (i) the tested engine was run without backfire under 70 percent hydrogen fuel supplemented; (ii) the peak cylinder pressure was decreased with increase of EGR ratio due to the decrease of oxygen concentration in an intake pipe; and (iii) $NO_x$ emission was decreased by 77% with 30% EGR ratio. Therefore, it may be concluded that EGR is effective method to lower $NO_x$ emission in hydrogen fueled diesel engine.