Design and thermal management study of fuel cell spray cooling system

Thermal management is a key challenge in fuel cell vehicles, as inefficient heat dissipation leads to thermal runaway and accelerated degradation. This study introduces a novel spray cooling system for proton exchange membrane fuel cells, utilizing air-assisted nozzles and recycling water generated by the fuel cell to minimize modifications to the existing system. Systematic experiments were conducted to optimize spray parameters, and a targeted usage strategy was developed for New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) conditions. Performance evaluation involved both experimental testing and simulation analysis to assess thermal management effectiveness. Experimental results identified optimal cooling conditions at 0.4 MPa spray pressure, 400 mm spray distance, and 0° spray angle. Water recovery analysis showed that a single NEDC cycle provides 125 s of spray cooling operation, leading to the development of a strategic spray deployment protocol. Simulation studies demonstrated significant improvements during peak operation: 45.6 % reduction in stack temperature fluctuations, 3.7 % increase in electrical efficiency, and 43 % enhancement in radiator cooling performance. This research proposes a practical fuel cell thermal management approach by combining water recovery with spray cooling, requiring minimal system modifications. The proposed system and strategy establish a foundation for future fuel cell cooling solutions, particularly for high-power thermal management.