This paper focuses on the influence of inlet air temperature and relative humidity on the performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (FC) stack with maximum power of 175 W. To control the inlet air temperature, a cooling system was designed and integrated with the fuel cell stack. It was experimentally proven that the lower temperature results in better fuel cell performance. This dependence was found to be non-linear in the range of 15–25 °C. To take into account air humidity and analyze its effects on FC efficiency, an air humidifier was installed at the air inlet. Experiments showed that the increased relative humidity positively affected FC efficiency. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the reactant flow inside the FC stack was conducted, helping to analyze thermal regime, velocity distribution, and migration of hydrogen ions through the membrane on the cathode side. The temperature on the cathode side exceeded operational limits already at 120 W power load. CFD simulation results support the need for an additional cooling system for experimental setup.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Aiming for the better environmental and economic performance of traditional engines, waste heat recovery (WHR) technologies are actively studied to find their most beneficial applications. In this work, the inverted Brayton cycle (IBC) is investigated as a potential WHR solution for liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuelled transport truck. LNG being one of the less polluting fossil fuels is widely spreading nowadays in different industries due to the rapid development of the LNG supply chain in the world. LNG-fuelled cargo transportation follows this prevailing trend. Based on the overexpansion of flue gases to subatmospheric pressure, inverted Brayton cycle, in turn, is considered a prospective technology of WHR and techno-economic analysis of IBC in several configurations on-board of a heavy transport truck have been assessed. IBC is integrated into the engine cooling system in the basic layout, and additionally, it incorporates LNG regasification process in advanced configurations. Power balance based on Aspen Hysys model enables to perform system optimisation and gives preliminary design parameters of the system components. Cost function approach provides the basis for a preliminary economic assessment of the layouts. Although the system shows fuel economy of maximum about 2.1 %, analysis revealed the necessity to continue the search for better technical solutions in IBC-based systems to make them economically attractive due to high cost of installed equipment.