Integration of phosphoric acid fuel cells and humidification-dehumidification units for simultaneously electricity and freshwater production

IF 9.8 1区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL

Desalination Pub Date : 2025-09-25 DOI:10.1016/j.desal.2025.119442

Houcheng Zhang , Zepei Lang , Huizhen Liu , Changgan Lai , Hui Chen , Xinyan Zhou , Jianming Li

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Despite extensive studies on phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs) and humidification-dehumidification (HDH) units individually, their integrated operation remains unexplored. This study proposes and evaluates a novel hybrid system integrating a PAFC with a HDH desalination unit to simultaneously generate electricity and produce freshwater. A steady-state model, incorporating electrochemical, thermodynamic, and mass-transfer principles, is established and validated against independent experimental data for each subsystem. At the optimal operating temperature of 457 K, the hybrid system achieves a peak power density of 5532.35 W·m⁻², energy efficiency of 48.20 %, and exergy efficiency of 51.21 %, representing respective gains of 9.81 %, 9.89 %, and 14.08 % over a standalone PAFC. The HDH unit attains a maximum gain output ratio of 11.13 at 446 K, demonstrating substantial freshwater production capability from PAFC waste heat. Parametric and local sensitivity analyses reveal that electrolyte membrane thickness and operating current density are the most influential variables, followed by humidifier area and exchange current density. These findings underscore the potential of PAFC/HDH integration as a sustainable solution for decentralized power and water supply, particularly in energy- and water-scarce regions, and provide guidance for performance-oriented design and operational optimization.

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磷酸燃料电池和加湿-除湿装置的集成，用于同时发电和生产淡水

尽管对磷酸燃料电池（pafc）和加湿-除湿（HDH）装置进行了广泛的研究，但它们的综合运行仍未得到探索。本研究提出并评估了一种新型混合系统，将PAFC与HDH海水淡化装置集成在一起，同时发电和生产淡水。建立了一个稳态模型，结合了电化学、热力学和传质原理，并根据每个子系统的独立实验数据进行了验证。在457 K的最佳工作温度下，混合系统的峰值功率密度为5532.35 W·m−2，能量效率为48.20%，火用效率为51.21%，分别比单独的PAFC提高9.81%，9.89%和14.08%。HDH装置在446 K时的最大增益输出比为11.13，证明了利用PAFC废热生产淡水的能力。参数分析和局部灵敏度分析表明，电解液膜厚度和工作电流密度是影响最大的变量，其次是加湿器面积和交换电流密度。这些发现强调了PAFC/HDH集成作为分散供电和供水的可持续解决方案的潜力，特别是在能源和水资源匮乏地区，并为以性能为导向的设计和操作优化提供指导。

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来源期刊

Desalination 工程技术-工程：化工

CiteScore

14.60

自引率

20.20%

发文量

619

审稿时长

41 days

期刊介绍： Desalination is a scholarly journal that focuses on the field of desalination materials, processes, and associated technologies. It encompasses a wide range of disciplines and aims to publish exceptional papers in this area. The journal invites submissions that explicitly revolve around water desalting and its applications to various sources such as seawater, groundwater, and wastewater. It particularly encourages research on diverse desalination methods including thermal, membrane, sorption, and hybrid processes. By providing a platform for innovative studies, Desalination aims to advance the understanding and development of desalination technologies, promoting sustainable solutions for water scarcity challenges.