The Characteristics of Hybrid Al2O3:SiO2 Nanofluids in Cooling Plate of PEMFC

Abstract

A Proton Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) is considered to be a viable alternatives to Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) in automotive applications due to the key advantages in thermal management system. The main duty of thermal management system is to maintain the desirable temperature, with a uniform temperature distribution across the stack and.its.individual membranes. In this paper, the thermal enhancement of a PEMFC cooling plate was analysed and presented. The hybrid Al₂O₃:SiO₂ was used as coolant in distributor cooling plate. The study focuses on water based 0.5% volume concentration of single Al₂O₃ , single SiO₂ nanofluids, hybrid Al₂O₃:SiO nanofluids with mixture ratio of 10:90, 20:80, 50:50, 60:40 and 90:10. The effect of different ratios of nanofluids to heat transfer enhancement and fluid flow in Reynold number range of 400 to 2000 was observed. A 3D computational fluid dynamic (CFD) was developed based on distributor cooling plates using Ansys 16.0. Positive heat transfer enhancement was obtained where the 10:90 Al₂O₃:SiO₂ nanofluids has the highest heat transfer coefficient as compared to other nanofluids used. However, all nanofluids experienced higher pressure drop. Therefore, the advantage ratio was used to analyze the effect of both heat transfer enhancements and pressure drop demerits for nanofluids adoption. The results concluded that 10:90 Al₂O₃:SiO₂ hybrid nanofluid is the most feasible candidate up to fluid flow of Re1000. The positive results implied that hybrid Al₂O₃:SiO₂ nanofluids do improve the single nanofluids behaviour and has a better potential for future applications in PEMFC thermal management.

Analysis of Fluid Pressure Drop through a Globe Valve using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Statistical Techniques

“…This leads to an increase in the Reynolds number and, consequently, an increase in fluid energy, as demonstrated in the work of Jasim et al, [9]. CFD is widely employed in various studies to examine the thermal and pressure drop effects of fluid flow through corrugated or obstructed surfaces, as shown in previous studies [10][11][12][13][14].…”

Stability Analysis of Unsteady Mixed Convection Flow Near the Stagnation Point with Buoyancy Effect

“…Recent studies of the heat transfer and boundary layer flow in hybrid nanofluid may be obtained in Refs. [15][16][17][18].…”

A Comprehensive Numerical Analysis of Natural Convection in Nanofluids within Various Enclosure Geometries: A Review

“…In response to the limitations of conventional nanofluids, a novel extension known as hybrid nanofluids has been introduced. These fluids are created by hybridizing two distinct nanoparticles with disparate properties within a base fluid [32]. Hybrid nanofluids aim to improve thermal properties beyond those of base fluids and mono-nanofluids, capitalizing on the synergistic effect of the combined nanoparticles.…”

“…Hybrid nanofluids aim to improve thermal properties beyond those of base fluids and mono-nanofluids, capitalizing on the synergistic effect of the combined nanoparticles. The efficiency of heat transmission, pressure drop, and stability in heat transfer applications are expected to be enhanced by a well-balanced hybrid nanofluid [32]. However, further research is recommended to address issues such as long-term stability, increased pressure drops or pumping power, excessive viscosity, and the lack of a suitable thermal conductivity model [33].…”

“…Similar to mono-nanofluids, hybrid nanofluids undergo a comparable fabrication process and thermophysical characteristic investigation. According to the literature review by Idris et al [32] and Sidik et al [34], hybrid nanofluids can be prepared using one-and two-step methods. These methods are often chosen based on their costeffectiveness for mass production and their efficacy for smaller productions involving multiple chemical stages [35].…”