Example 3.

11

In Example 1.5, we saw that to generate an electrical power of P =9 W, the temperature of the PEM
fuel cell had to be maintained at T c ≈ 56.4 ° C , which required removal of 11.25 W from the fuel cell
and a cooling air velocity of V =9.4 m/s for T ∞=25 ℃ . To provide these convective conditions, the
fuel cell is centered in a 50 mm x 26 mm rectangular duct, with 10-mm gaps between the exterior of
the 50 mm x 50 mm x6 mm fuel cell and the top and bottom of the well-insulated duct wall. A small
fan, powered by the fuel cell, is used to circulate the cooling air. Inspection of a particular fan
vendor’s data sheets suggests that the ratio of the fan power consumption to the fan’s volumetric flow
Pf
( )
3 3
m −4 −2 m
rate is =C=1000 W for t h e range 10 ≤ ∀f ≤ 10
∀˙ f s s

Shematic:
Properties:
Table A4
W J 3
Air(T =300 K ¿ ; k air =0.0263 ; c p=1007 ; ρ=1.1614 kg /m
mK kgK
m
∀˙ f =V [ W ( H −t c ) ] =9.4 x [0.05 x ( 0.026 m−0.006 m) ]
s
−3 3
¿ 9.4 x 10 m /s

Pnet =P−C ∀˙ f =9.0 W −1000 W /¿ ¿

/(2 L c ¿ W c )=(10 ¿ ¿−3 m K /W )/(2 x 0.05 m x 0.05 m)=0.2 K /W ¿ ¿

'' 2
Rt ,c =R t,c

Rt ,base =t b /(2 k Lc W c ¿ )=(0.002 m)/¿ ¿

Rt ,b=1 / [ h ( 2W c −N t f ) / Lc ]=1 /[h x ( 2 x 0.05 m−N x 0.001 m ) x 0.05 m]

P=2 ( Lc +t f ) =2 x ( 0.05 m+0.001 m )=0.102 m

2
Ac =L c t f =0.05 m x 0.001 m=0.00005 m

m= √ hP /k A c =¿ ¿

h=1.78 k air ( Lf + a)/(¿ Lf x a)=1.78 x 0.0263W /mK (0.008+a)/ ( 0.008 x a ) ¿

a=(2W c −N t f )/ N =(2 x 0.05 m−N x 0.001 m)/ N

−1
Rt ,f =( hPk Ac ) 2 / tanh ⁡(m Lf ¿ ) ¿
 −1/ 2
w 2
(h x 0.102 m x 200 x 0.00005 m )
mK
Rt ,f =
tanh ⁡(m x 0.008 m)

T c −T ∞ T c−T ∞ −1 −1 −1
q= = ; R ¿=[R t , b + Rt , f ( N ) ]
R total Rt ,c + Rt , base + R ¿
T c −T ∞
R¿ = −(Rt , c + R t , base )¿(56 ℃−25 ℃)/11.25W −( 0.2+0.002 ) K /W
q
¿ 2.59 K /W

Matlab code:
syms N
kair=0.0263;
a=(2*0.005-N*0.001)/N
h=1.78*kair*(0.008+a)/(0.008*a);
Rtb=1/(h*(2*0.05-N*0.001)*0.05);
m=(h*0.102/(200*0.00005))^(1/2);
Rtf=(h*0.102*200*0.00005)^(-1/2)/tanh(m*0.008);
Rtfn=Rtf/N;
eqn = 1/(1/Rtb+ 1/Rtfn) == 2.76;
sol_N = vpasolve(eqn, N);
display(sol_N)

sol_N =

-23.81807509471987688468830118966