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Producing tailor-made crystals demands knowledge of the influence of hydrodynamics and nucleation kinetics. In this paper, the hydrodynamic conditions in a dual-impeller crystallizer and their influence on the key nucleation parameters of the batch cooling crystallization of borax at different impeller off-bottom clearances were investigated. Two different impeller configurations were used—a dual pitched-blade turbine (2 PBT) and a dual straight-blade turbine (2 SBT). Hydrodynamics was analyzed in depth based on the developed computational fluid dynamics model. The experimental results on mixing time and power input were used to validate the numerical model. The results show that the properties of the final product are affected by the impeller position in both dual-impeller configurations. An increase in the impeller off-bottom clearance in both systems results in a decrease in the mean crystal size. The hydrodynamic conditions generated at C/D = 1 in the 2 PBT impeller system and at C/D = 0.6 in the 2 SBT impeller system favored an earlier onset of nucleation compared to other impeller positions. It was found that the eddy dissipation rate and the Kolmogorov length scale correlate highly with the mean crystal size, suggesting that the size is affected by the shear stress in the vessel, rather than the overall convective flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Repowering of existing vessels with hybrid power system for electricity production and storage with focus on reduced power requirement, increased efficiency, and eliminated greenhouse gas emissions are the applications. As marine traffic is contributing to pollution, and most vessels have predictable routes with repetitive load profiles, to reduce their impact on environment, hybrid systems with proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC-s) and battery pack are a promising replacement. For this purpose, the new approach takes into consideration an alternative to diesel propulsion with the additional benefit of carbon neutrality and increase of system efficiency. Additionally, in the developed numerical model, control of the PEMFC–battery hybrid energy system with balance of plant is incorporated with repowering existing vessels that have two diesel engines with 300 kWe. The goal of this paper is to develop a numerical model that analyzes and determines an equivalent hybrid ship propulsion system for a known traveling route. The developed numerical model consists of an interconnected system with the PEMFC stack and a battery pack as power sources. The numerical model was developed and optimized to meet the minimal required power demand for a successful route, which has variable loads and sees ships sail daily six times along the same route—in total 54 nautical miles. The results showed that the equivalent hybrid power system consists of a 300 kWe PEMFC stack and battery pack with 424 kWh battery and state of charge varying between 20 and 87%. To power this new hybrid power system, a hydrogen tank of 7200 L holding 284.7 kg at pressure of 700 bar is required, compared to previous system that consumed 1524 kg of diesel and generated 4886 kg of CO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of newly available technologies in the green maritime sector is difficult due to conflicting requirements and the inter-relation of different ecological, technological and economical parameters. The governments incentivize radical reductions in harmful emissions as an overall priority. If the politics do not change, the continuous implementation of stricter government regulations for reducing emissions will eventually result in the mandatory use of, what we currently consider, alternative fuels. Immediate application of radically different strategies would significantly increase the economic costs of maritime transport, thus jeopardizing its greatest benefit: the transport of massive quantities of freight at the lowest cost. Increased maritime transport costs would immediately disrupt the global economy, as seen recently during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, the industry has shifted towards a gradual decrease in emissions through the implementation of "better" transitional solutions until alternative fuels eventually become low-cost fuels. Since this topic is very broad and interdisciplinary, our systematic overview gives insight into the state-of-the-art available technologies in green maritime transport with a focus on the following subjects: (i) alternative fuels; (ii) hybrid propulsion systems and hydrogen technologies; (iii) the benefits of digitalization in the maritime sector aimed at increasing vessel efficiency; (iv) hull drag reduction technologies; and (v) carbon capture technologies. This paper outlines the challenges, advantages and disadvantages of their implementation. The results of this analysis elucidate the current technologies' readiness levels and their expected development over the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorption is often carried out in stirred batch reactors without any consideration of how much mixing is sufficient to avoid the effect of diffusion without compromising yield and cost due to overmixing. Therefore, the focus of this work was to study how the maximum sorption capacity, removal efficiency, kinetics and power consumption (P) of the studied process are affected by different mixing speeds, i.e., impeller speed/minimum impeller speed for complete suspension (N/NJS) ratio values and zeolite suspension mass concentrations. Experiments were conducted in a baffled reactor with the propeller at a standard off-bottom clearance. In addition to the experimental studies, numerical modelling approaches were carried out to investigate the sorption process using a transient multiphase computational fluid dynamics model and fitting selected kinetic models. The results show that an increase in zeolite mass leads to a slight increase in the NJS and consequently PJS. The impeller speed affects the velocities, power consumption, kinetics, final amount and removal efficiency of copper sorbed. The experimentally determined kinetic data fit Ritchie's kinetic model well. However, for two experiments, performed at N/NJS ratios of 0.8 and 0.6, Mixed kinetic model fits better, suggesting that the second-order reaction is suppressed by diffusion. Due to the influence of diffusion, the experimentally determined sorption efficiency decreased from 59.377% to 54.486% and 46.372% for N/NJS ratios of 0.8 and 0.6, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methanol crossover is an important factor affecting the performance of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). In this work, a novel membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is designed and prepared by adding a layer of graphene aerogel (GA) between the carbon powder microporous layer and the catalytic layer, which optimizes the methanol transport and improves the output performance of DMFC at high methanol concentrations. Compared to conventional carbon powder, the addition of GA increases the tortuosity of the anode in the through-plane direction; hence, methanol is diluted to a suitable concentration when it reaches the catalyst. The maximum power density of the novel MEA can reach 27.4 mW·cm−2 at a condition of 8 M methanol, which is 234% higher than that of the conventional electrode. The test results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) indicate that the addition of GA does not increase the internal resistance of the novel MEA and that the mass transfer resistance at high concentrations is significantly lower. The experimental results indicate that the output performance at high concentration can be significantly improved by adding a GA layer, and its practicability in portable devices can be improved. It also improves the stability of DMFC under long-term testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The porous electrode under the rib area suffers from lower local oxygen concentration and more severe water flooding than that under the channel, which significantly affect the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. To improve the oxygen concentration and water drainage under the rib, a series of novel flow fields with auxiliary channels equipped with through‐plane arrayed holes were manufactured by three‐dimensional (3D) metal printing, and the cell performance, ohmic resistance and pressure drop were experimentally and numerically studied, respectively. The novel fields were based on the sophisticated modification of traditional serpentine and parallel flow fields, that significantly improved the cell performance at high current density with an optimal number or length of the auxiliary channels, owing to the trade‐off between the electric resistance and mass transfer under the rib. This novel flow field design solved the trilemma of performance, pressure drop and manufacture feasibility through the implementation of 3D printing technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel flow field was designed by deploying auxiliary channels inside the partially hollow ribs and drilling a series of arrayed holes on the auxiliary channels. This novel design rationally utilizes the ribs of the current collector and improves the volumetric efficiency of the parallel channels, leading to improved cell performance and homogeneity of current distribution. A three‐dimensional, two‐phase flow model was developed to analyze the influence of a variety of parameters on the oxygen and water saturation profiles, cell performance, and current uniformity. It was found that the combination of auxiliary channels and hole array provides an extra pathway for reactant transport and water removal. A reasonable optimization of the flow field geometry, for example, the hole size, the area ratio of arrayed holes and auxiliary channels, nonuniform distribution of arrayed holes, could further improve the cell performance and current uniformity at an extremely low pressure drop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of hydrodynamic conditions in dual‐impeller crystallizers at different impeller spacings on nucleation kinetics was investigated. Dual‐pitched‐blade turbine (2 PBT) and dual‐straight‐blade turbine (2 SBT) impeller configurations were used. To analyze hydrodynamic conditions at different impeller spacings, a computational fluid dynamics model was developed and validated by experimentally determining mixing time and power input. Results show that nucleation kinetics in the 2 SBT impeller system is affected by the characteristic microscale parameters. The same was not observed in the 2 PBT impeller system. Also, as a consequence of higher shear stress values, smaller but less agglomerated crystals were obtained in 2 SBT impeller systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An easily machined novel flow field with controllable pressure gradient across adjacent channels was designed and a two dimensional, across‐the‐channel, two‐phase model was developed to study the gas transport and water removal of the novel configuration. The effect of channel‐rib width ratio, GDL thickness and pressure gradient on the profiles of oxygen concentration and water saturation within the GDL were investigated. Special attention was paid to the mechanisms of the promoted mass transport and water removal rates under a pressure gradient. The model was validated by experiments with various channel‐rib ratios and GDL thicknesses at different operating pressure. The results revealed that, oxygen concentration was increased, and the water saturation was reduced under the rib with a pressure gradient generated across the adjacent channels. The optimal pressure gradient is between 0.1 to 0.2 atm for the studied channel geometry and configuration. The mechanisms of the improved cell performance were elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The objective of the coolant induced variable temperature flow field concept is to maintain high membrane water content along the entire flow field without external humidification and without occurrence of liquid water inside the cell at higher currents. This is achieved by imposing a temperature gradient in the cathode downstream direction in such manner that the product water is just sufficient to maintain close to 100% relative humidity along the entire flow field. The concept must be feasible for stack applications and flexible to enable efficient operation under significantly different operating conditions. The concept is investigated via interactive combination of computational fluid dynamics modeling and experimental validation for two membranes, namely Nafion® 212 and Nafion® 115. Additional calculations are also carried out for a five-cell stack with Nafion® 212 membranes. The results of the computational fluid dynamics model are compared with the experimental data. Calculated and measured current density and relative humidity distributions along the cell give insight in the membrane water content and membrane water flux. With the coolant induced variable temperature flow field concept it is possible to achieve close to 100% relative humidity along the entire flow field without the requirement for external humidification, and to minimize the occurrence of liquid water inside the cell, resulting in improved performance of the cell in comparison with commonly used isothermal operation. Highlights • New method for superior PEM fuel cell operation is developed and explained. • Computational fluid dynamics model is thoroughly validates vs. experimental data. • Results are outlined for two MEAs at different ambient conditions. • Variable temperature flow field applied on PEM fuel cell stack for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variable temperature flow field concept allows maintaining close to 100% relative humidity along the entire flow field of the anode and the cathode side without external humidification using water generated during fuel cell operation for internal reactant humidification. This work deals with the experimental validation of the variable temperature flow field concept on a five-segment single cell. The experimental setup provides insight into the membrane water transport, temperature distribution on the current collectors and inside the channels, and the current density distribution along the cell. Variable temperature flow field operation with dry reactants is compared to isothermal operation with partially and fully humidified reactants. The polarization curve comparison shows that the variable temperature flow field operating efficiency is similar or better than the commonly used isothermal configuration with fully humidified reactants. The main contribution of the variable temperature flow field concept, when compared to isothermal operation, is the reduction of the mass transport losses at higher currents, since the generated water is evaporated in the stream of reactants, thereby minimizing the problem of liquid water removal from the cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study of segmented proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance has been carried out, based on experimental setup and operating parameters from previous studies. Two different temperature boundary conditions were considered – isothermal and, a novel, non-uniform temperature profile calculated from Mollier h-ω chart. Implementation of non-uniform terminal temperature boundary conditions resulted in close to 100% relative humidity along the cathode channel, resulting in improvement of PEMFC performance without the need for external humidification. Model polarization curve and relative humidity distribution along the cathode channel length are in good agreement with experimental results. It was found that different current collector materials, i.e., their thermal conductivity have major influence on temperature, thus on relative humidity distributions along reactant gas channels. The membrane thickness affects the net water transport across the membrane, thus also has influence on temperature and relative humidity distribution along the reactant gas channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuel starvation is a major cause of anode corrosion in low temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells. The fuel cell start-up is a critical step, as hydrogen may not yet be evenly distributed in the active area, leading to local starvation. The present work investigates the hydrogen distribution and risk for starvation during start-up and after nitrogen purge by extending an existing computational fluid dynamic model to capture transient behavior. The results of the numerical model are compared with detailed experimental analysis on a 25 cm2 triple serpentine flow field with good agreement in all aspects and a required time step size of 1 s. This is two to three orders of magnitude larger than the time steps used by other works, resulting in reasonably quick calculation times (e.g., 3 min calculation time for 1 s of experimental testing time using a 2 million element mesh). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical study is conducted to compare the current most popular flow field configurations, porous, biporous, porous with baffles, Toyota 3D fine-mesh, and traditional rectangular flow field. Operation at high current densities is considered to elucidate the effect of the flow field designs on the overall heat transfer and liquid water removal. A comprehensive 3D, multiphase, nonisothermal computational fluid dynamics model is developed based on up-to-date heat and mass transfer sub-models, incorporating the complete formulation of the Forchheimer inertial effect and the permeability ratio of the biporous layers. The porous and baffled flow field improves the cell performance by minimizing mass transport losses, enhancing the water removal from the diffusion layers. The baffled flow field is chosen for optimization owing to the simple design and low manufacturing cost. A total of 49 configurations were mutually compared in the design of experiments to show the quantitative effect of each parameter on the performance of the baffled flow field. The results elucidate the significant influence of small geometry modifications on the overall heat and mass transfer. The results of different cases have shown that water saturation can be decreased by up to 33.59% and maximal temperature by 7.91 °C when compared to the reference case which is already characterized by very high performance. The most influencing geometry parameters of the baffles on the cell performance are revealed. The best case of the 49 studied cases is further optimized by introducing a linear scaling factor. Additional geometry modifications demonstrate that the gain in performance can be increased, but at a cost of higher pressure drop and increased design complexity. The conclusions of this work aids in the development of compact and high-performance proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal control of liquid water dynamics plays an instrumental role in achieving optimised performance and prolonged lifetime of PEM Fuel Cells (PEMFC). Tackling these challenges calls for precise on-line monitoring and control tools such as coupled virtual observers taking into consideration also liquid water dynamics. The latter proves to be especially challenging to model due to varying retention and removal rates of liquid and gaseous water depending on the operating conditions thus representing a longstanding knowledge gap. To fill this gap, this contribution presents derivation of a 1D+1D system level physically motivated two-phase model of PEMFC, which enables consistent treatment of liquid water dynamics on the system level in all seven most influential regions of the PEMFC, namely membrane, anode and cathode channels, GDLs, and catalyst layers, while exhibiting real-time readiness with real-time factor of 0.0449. The model is extensively tested on single-cell data, which consists of five sets of experiments with different operating regimes and durations. Overall results exhibit good agreement with experimental data in all of the performed tests with R2 factors larger than 0.95. Newly developed features of the model enable its use in development of advanced control methodologies and hardware-in-the-loop as well as digital twin applications. • System-level physically motivated two-phase PEMFC model is derived. • Model considers retention and removal rates of liquid and gaseous water. • Identifiability of calibration parameters was proven by sensitivity analysis. • Model exhibits good extrapolation capabilities beyond calibrated operational area. • Newly derived model is applicable in on-line monitoring and control applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]