Structural Design, Matching, and Analysis of Air Supply Devices for Multi‐Stack Fuel Cell Systems

Abstract

The multi‐stack fuel cell system (MFCS) can be widely used in large E‐power generation scenarios because of its higher output power, efficiency and reliability, and air supply for integration in MFCS. To study the issue of air supply distribution for different stacks, two MFCS air supply systems with different structures are designed. For the air supply system, the pressurized air supply device is the core component, and its performance directly affects the efficiency, structural complexity, cost, and other indicators of the MFCS. According to the characteristics of different types of compressors, air compressors are selected for matching with air supply devices for MFCSs with different topologies. Furthermore, based on the established mathematical models, the pressurized air supply devices suitable for MFCSs are optimized matching from the perspectives of working condition adaptability, electrical power consumption, and maximum electrical power. It is shown in the results that the most energy‐saving scheme is the parallel air supply device for the MFCS matching screw‐type air compressor. Considering the complexity of the system structure and the cost, the best scheme is to match the integrated air supply device for the MFCS with piston‐type air compressors.