Numerical analysis on the dynamic response of a plate-and-frame membrane humidifier for PEMFC vehicles under various operating conditions

A PEMFC needs to be maintained at an appropriate temperature and humidity in a rapidly changing environment for automobile applications. In this study, a pseudo-multi-dimensional dynamic model for predicting the heat and mass transfer performance of a plate-and-frame membrane humidifier for PEMFC vehicles is developed. Based on the developed model, the variations in the temperature and relative humidity at the dry air outlet are investigated according to the air flow acceleration. Moreover, the dynamic response is analyzed as a function of the amplitude and period of the sinusoidal air flow rate at actual operating conditions. The effects of heat transfer on the dynamic response are more dominant than those of mass transfer. The settling time of the temperature and relative humidity at the dry air outlet decrease with the increase in air flow acceleration. In addition, the variations in the temperature and relative humidity at the dry air outlet increase with the increases in the amplitude and period of the sinusoidal air flow rate.