New customised cooling solution for fuel cell stacks

Among the different integrated cooling solutions realised by Oesse, there are customised cooling systems dedicated to fuel cells.

The side picture shows the cooling solution developed for customer Cummins, with application in the electrical sector.

The cooling system was designed with a two-circuit logic, in which in an external circuit a combination of water and glycol cools the demineralised water, which itself passes through a plate circuit inside the fuel cell stacks.

The cooled fuel cell stack is a PEM type with an optimal operating temperature of around 80 °C degrees and it is essential that it does not fall below 70 °C degrees. Consequently, the design of the solution focused on optimising the energy consumption of the entire system.

To this purpose, the heat exchanger was equipped with two EC-type electric fans. These devices are electronically controlled: depending on the temperature detected, their speed is automatically regulated. It is therefore a continuous adjustment of fan performance for maximum cooling efficiency.

Cooling solutions of this type are the result of an in-depth study of the fuel cells field that began some time ago in collaboration with the Engineering Department of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and with R&D CFD Srl, to identify the best sizing techniques for cooling solutions.

The joint research has allowed an in-depth study of the operating dynamics inside a fuel cell, the reference parameters for the individual cell, the tensions developed inside, and the characteristics and operating specifications of the circuits. The know-how acquired has made it possible to design reliable and safe cooling solutions in this sector as well.