IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v255y2025ics096014812501362x.html

Entrainment and flow performance study of a novel shark-gill bionic ejector for a PEMFC hydrogen supply system

Author

Listed:
  • Zhou, Feng
  • Yao, Kewen
  • Ma, Guoyuan

Abstract

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology stands as the core enabling hydrogen energy technology. The ejector, key component of PEMFC anode hydrogen supply system, is primarily responsible for recovering unreacted hydrogen from the fuel cell stacks. Low entrainment ratio (ER) weakens ejector and overall performance significantly. A novel bionic ejector inspired by shark gills was proposed to improve ER. The impact of key structural parameters on ER was analyzed. The optimal parameter ranges enhancing performance effectively were identified. Results show that the bionic ejector directs primary flow more effectively, reduces fluid resistance, enhances stability, and improves overall performance, albeit with a decrease in primary flow mass flow. The optimal ranges of gill number ratio, length ratio, height ratio, and width ratio remained 0 to 0.182, 0 to 0.28, 0 to 0.4, and 0 to 0.14, respectively. Within these ranges, the ER increased by 8.92 %–16.83 %, while the primary flow mass flow decreased by 6.25 %–8.75 %. Distinct design strategies are recommended based on pressure: small gill number, gill length, gill height, gill width, and non-vertical angle are favored for low pressure; for high pressure, high gill number, long gill length, great gill height, wide gill width, and vertical angle (90°) are optimal.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhou, Feng & Yao, Kewen & Ma, Guoyuan, 2025. "Entrainment and flow performance study of a novel shark-gill bionic ejector for a PEMFC hydrogen supply system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:255:y:2025:i:c:s096014812501362x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.123700
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096014812501362X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2025.123700?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ding, Hongbing & Zhang, Panpan & Dong, Yuanyuan & Yang, Yan, 2024. "Optimization of hydrogen recirculation ejector for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) systems considering non-equilibrium condensation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(PC).
    2. Ding, Gaoya & Cao, Xuewen & Chen, Junwen & Zhang, Yue & Bian, Jiang, 2024. "Impact of the expansion ratio on the properties of hydrogen recirculation ejectors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 374(C).
    3. Pratt, Joseph W. & Klebanoff, Leonard E. & Munoz-Ramos, Karina & Akhil, Abbas A. & Curgus, Dita B. & Schenkman, Benjamin L., 2013. "Proton exchange membrane fuel cells for electrical power generation on-board commercial airplanes," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 776-796.
    4. Fan, Lixin & liu, Yang & Luo, Xiaobing & Tu, Zhengkai & Chan, Siew Hwa, 2023. "A novel gas supply configuration for hydrogen utilization improvement in a multi-stack air-cooling PEMFC system with dead-ended anode," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    5. Kuo, Jenn-Kun & Hsieh, Chun-Yao, 2021. "Numerical investigation into effects of ejector geometry and operating conditions on hydrogen recirculation ratio in 80 kW PEM fuel cell system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    6. Chen, Ben & Zhou, Haoran & He, Shaowen & Meng, Kai & Liu, Yang & Cai, Yonghua, 2021. "Numerical simulation on purge strategy of proton exchange membrane fuel cell with dead-ended anode," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    7. Esbo, M. Rahimi- & Ranjbar, A.A. & Rahgoshay, S.M., 2020. "Analysis of water management in PEM fuel cell stack at dead-end mode using direct visualization," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 212-221.
    8. Rekha Guchhait & Biswajit Sarkar, 2023. "Increasing Growth of Renewable Energy: A State of Art," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-29, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Yuhang & Lv, He & Liu, Xiaoming & Wang, Lingzi & Feng, Jianmei & Peng, Xueyuan, 2026. "A comparative investigation of the operating performance and flow characteristics of regenerative flow compressors for hydrogen recirculation in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yiqiao Li & Hao Huang & Shengqiang Shen & Yali Guo & Yong Yang & Siyuan Liu, 2025. "Application Advances and Prospects of Ejector Technologies in the Field of Rail Transit Driven by Energy Conservation and Energy Transition," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-37, July.
    2. Liu, Shihua & Li, Xiaoyang & Pang, Linjia & Geng, Tie & Guo, Yonggang & Jiang, Lin & Kang, Kejia & Wang, Xinchao & Liu, Zongyao, 2022. "Study on the effect of purging time on the performance of PEMFC with dead-ended anode under gravity," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 1141-1151.
    3. Tang, Tingjiang & Lu, Chihua & Xiao, Chenguang & Wang, Zhongguo & Zhang, Fengjiao & Yu, Jing & Chen, Hong & Luo, Maji, 2025. "Degradation and performance recovery of 150 kW dual-stack proton exchange membrane fuel cell system for heavy-duty truck applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    4. Pregelj, Boštjan & Micor, Michał & Dolanc, Gregor & Petrovčič, Janko & Jovan, Vladimir, 2016. "Impact of fuel cell and battery size to overall system performance – A diesel fuel-cell APU case study," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 365-375.
    5. Gai Zhang & Hui Cui & Xuecheng Hu & Anchao Qu & Hao Peng & Xiaotian Peng, 2024. "Research on NaCl-KCl High-Temperature Thermal Storage Composite Phase Change Material Based on Modified Blast Furnace Slag," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-20, May.
    6. Yonghua Cai & Jingming Sun & Fan Wei & Ben Chen, 2022. "Effect of Baffle Dimensionless Size Factor on the Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-19, May.
    7. Becker, F. & Cosse, C. & Gentner, C. & Schulz, D. & Liphardt, L., 2024. "Novel electrochemical and thermodynamic conditioning approaches and their evaluation for open cathode PEM-FC stacks," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 363(C).
    8. Ma, Xiaofeng & Shu, Yuchun & Zhao, Suyuan & Jiang, Peixue & Zhu, Yinhai, 2025. "Off-design performance analysis of a supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle coupled with a scramjet based on deep learning method," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    9. Song, Yajie & Wang, Xinli & Wang, Lei & Pan, Fengwen & Chen, Wenmiao & Xi, Fuqiang, 2021. "A twin-nozzle ejector for hydrogen recirculation in wide power operation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 300(C).
    10. Cao, Xuewen & Dong, Meiqin & Bian, Jiang, 2025. "Numerical simulation of a center-water two-phase ejector with non-condensable gas," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 331(C).
    11. Mo, Jingke & Kang, Zhenye & Yang, Gaoqiang & Retterer, Scott T. & Cullen, David A. & Toops, Todd J. & Green, Johney B. & Zhang, Feng-Yuan, 2016. "Thin liquid/gas diffusion layers for high-efficiency hydrogen production from water splitting," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 817-822.
    12. Saka, Kenan & Orhan, Mehmet Fatih, 2022. "Analysis of stack operating conditions for a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    13. Shaima A. Alnaqbi & Abdul Hai Alami, 2023. "Sustainability and Renewable Energy in the UAE: A Case Study of Sharjah," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-30, October.
    14. Ma, Tiancai & Du, Chang & Li, Ruitao & Tang, Xingwang & Su, Jianbin & Qian, Liqin & Shi, Lei, 2025. "Study on the redistribution mechanism and secondary purge strategy of proton exchange membrane fuel cells," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 378(PA).
    15. Chen, Wei & He, Weibiao & Li, Yan & Zhu, Guohui & Zuo, Qingsong & Shen, Zhuang & Li, Jianxing, 2025. "Fish scale bionic flow field design and performance analysis of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    16. Ding, Gaoya & Cao, Xuewen & Chen, Junwen & Zhang, Yue & Bian, Jiang, 2024. "Impact of the expansion ratio on the properties of hydrogen recirculation ejectors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 374(C).
    17. Faten Derouez & Adel Ifa, 2024. "Sustainable Food Security: Balancing Desalination, Climate Change, and Population Growth in Five Arab Countries Using ARDL and VECM," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-25, March.
    18. Lu, Chihua & Li, Chenyu & Liu, Zhien & Li, Yongchao & Zhou, Hui & Zheng, Hao, 2025. "A review on applications of optical visualization technologies for water management in proton exchange membrane fuel cells," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    19. Li, Guozhen, 2023. "The Hydrogen Fuel Pathway for Air Transportation," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt3sh5x1vk, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    20. Athanasios Mandilas & Dimitrios Kourtidis & Giannoula Florou & Stavros Valsamidis, 2023. "A Framework for Sustainability Reporting of Renewable Energy Companies in Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-33, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:255:y:2025:i:c:s096014812501362x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.