Using of an Electrochemical Compressor for Hydrogen Recirculation in Fuel Cell Vehicles

The automotive industry sees hydrogen-powered fuel cell (FC) drives as a promising option with a high range and short refueling time. Current research aims to increase the profitability of the fuel cell system by reducing hydrogen consumption. This study suggests the use of an electrochemical hydrogen compressor (EHC) for hydrogen recirculation. Compared to mechanical compressors, the EHC is very efficient due to the almost isothermal conditions and due to its modular structure, can only take up a minimal amount of space in vehicles. In addition, gas separation and purification of the hydrogen takes place in an EHC, which is a significant advantage over the standard recirculation with a blower or a jet pump. The high purity of the hydrogen at the cathode outlet of the EHC, also increased partial pressure of the hydrogen at the fuel cell inlet and its efficiency. The study carried out shows that replacing the blower with the EHC reduces the hydrogen loss by purging by up to similar to 95% and the efficiency of the FC system could be further improved. Thus, the EHC has a great potential for recycling hydrogen in FC systems in the automotive industry and is a great alternative to the current blower.