Numerical investigation of the effect of intercooler manifold inlet geometry on thermal and flow behavior in hydrogen fuel cell energy systems

Abstract

Global net-zero emission targets are directing the transportation sector towards alternative energy systems. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles stand out as a low-carbon solution, particularly in heavy-duty transport applications. Effective thermal energy management is critically important for the sustainable and efficient operation of these systems. In this study, the energy efficiency of an intercooler developed for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles was investigated. Two different designs were considered: the first model with a single-stage inlet structure, and the second model with a dual-stage inlet structure. For both models, thermal energy and flow behavior were analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) at five different air inlet velocities. Numerical results demonstrated that Model 2 offered significant advantages over Model 1. Specifically, at an inlet velocity of 5 m/s, a 24.44% increase in the ratio of heat transfer performance to flow resistance (j/f) was achieved. Simultaneously, a 10.71% reduction in pressure drop was observed. Moreover, Model 2 exhibited a more homogeneous outlet temperature distribution, with more pronounced temperature reduction near the wall regions. These findings indicate that inlet geometry is a critical parameter in intercooler design for enhancing energy efficiency in energy systems

Keywords

• Hydrogen fuel cell enerji system
• thermal energy management
• intercooler
• computational fluid dynamics
• heat transfer
• flow analysis

Hidrojen yakıt hücreli enerji sistemlerinde kullanılan ara soğutucu manifold giriş yapısının ısıl ve akış davranışına etkisinin sayısal incelemesi

Öz

Küresel ölçekte net sıfır emisyon hedefleri, taşımacılık sektörünü alternatif enerji sistemlerine yönlendirmektedir. Hidrojen yakıt hücreli araçlar, özellikle ağır vasıta taşımacılığında düşük karbonlu bir çözüm olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Bu sistemlerin sürdürülebilir ve verimli çalışması için etkin termal enerji yönetimi kritik öneme sahiptir. Bu çalışmada, hidrojen yakıt hücreli taşıtlara yönelik geliştirilen bir ara soğutucunun enerji verimliliği incelenmiştir. Çalışmada tek kademeli giriş yapısına sahip birinci model ve çift kademeli giriş yapısına sahip ikinci model olmak üzere iki farklı tasarım ele alınmıştır. Her iki model için beş farklı hava giriş hızında termal enerji ve akış davranışları hesaplamalı akışkanlar dinamiği (CFD) yöntemiyle analiz edilmiştir. Sayısal sonuçlar, model 2’nin model 1’e kıyasla önemli avantajlar sunduğunu göstermiştir. Özellikle 5 m/s giriş hızında, ısı transfer performansının akış direncine oranı (j/f ) değerinde %22,50 artış elde edilmiştir. Aynı zamanda basınç kaybında %10,30 azalma sağlanmıştır. Ayrıca, model 2 çıkış sıcaklık dağılımlarında daha homojen bir yapı sergilemiş ve cidar bölgelerinde sıcaklık düşüşü daha belirgin şekilde gözlemlenmiştir. Bu bulgular, enerji sistemlerinde ara soğutucu tasarımında giriş geometrisinin enerji verimliliği açısından belirleyici bir parametre olduğunu göstermektedir

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Hidrojen yakıt hücresi enerji sistemi
• termal enerji yönetimi
• ara soğutucu
• hesaplamalı akışkanlar dinamiği
• ısı transferi
• akış analizi

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