{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/9597"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/9597","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Experimental Evaluation of the Effect of Inlet Gas Humidification on Fuel Cell Performance","abstract":"The development and evaluation of a fuel cell test stand incorporating various methods for controlling the temperature and humidity of fuel cell reactants is described. The test stand is capable of accurately metering gas flows, controlling the temperature and humidity of the gases, and delivering the gases to the fuel cell in a safe manner. Additionally, the test stand can measure the voltage and current produced by the fuel cell during operation. Two test stands were constructed and evaluated, one using steam injection for fuel cell stacks and the other using flash evaporation for individual fuel cells. Both test stands were shown to provide adequate control at the upper end of the design range. The flash evaporation test apparatus was used to investigate the effect of inlet gas humidity on fuel cell performance. The results from this investigation showed that, for a fuel cell and reactant temperature of 75°C, the best performance was achieved with a high relative humidity (90%RH) for the hydrogen and a comparatively low relative humidity (60%) for the air.","abstract_html":"The development and evaluation of a fuel cell test stand incorporating various methods for controlling the temperature and humidity of fuel cell reactants is described. The test stand is capable of accurately metering gas flows, controlling the temperature and humidity of the gases, and delivering the gases to the fuel cell in a safe manner. Additionally, the test stand can measure the voltage and current produced by the fuel cell during operation. Two test stands were constructed and evaluated, one using steam injection for fuel cell stacks and the other using flash evaporation for individual fuel cells. Both test stands were shown to provide adequate control at the upper end of the design range. The flash evaporation test apparatus was used to investigate the effect of inlet gas humidity on fuel cell performance. The results from this investigation showed that, for a fuel cell and reactant temperature of 75°C, the best performance was achieved with a high relative humidity (90%RH) for the hydrogen and a comparatively low relative humidity (60%) for the air.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Evans, John P."],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Mechanical Engineering","degree_department":"Mechanical Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Ellis, Michael W."],"committee_members":["Von Spakovsky, Michael R.","Nelson, Douglas J."],"year":2003,"date_issued":"2003-09-17","date_published":"2003-09-17","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:19Z","subjects":["fuel cell","steam injection","flash evaporation","humidification","hydrogen","PEMFC"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-09302003-185853"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-09302003-185853","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/9597","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Ellis, Michael W."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Von Spakovsky, Michael R.","Nelson, Douglas J."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Mechanical Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Evans, John P."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2011-08-06T14:38:27Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2011-08-06T14:38:27Z","2003-10-06"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2003-09-17"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Mechanical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["fuel cell","steam injection","flash evaporation","humidification","hydrogen","PEMFC"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-09302003-185853"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/9597"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The development and evaluation of a fuel cell test stand incorporating various methods for controlling the temperature and humidity of fuel cell reactants is described. The test stand is capable of accurately metering gas flows, controlling the temperature and humidity of the gases, and delivering the gases to the fuel cell in a safe manner. Additionally, the test stand can measure the voltage and current produced by the fuel cell during operation. Two test stands were constructed and evaluated, one using steam injection for fuel cell stacks and the other using flash evaporation for individual fuel cells. Both test stands were shown to provide adequate control at the upper end of the design range. The flash evaporation test apparatus was used to investigate the effect of inlet gas humidity on fuel cell performance. The results from this investigation showed that, for a fuel cell and reactant temperature of 75°C, the best performance was achieved with a high relative humidity (90%RH) for the hydrogen and a comparatively low relative humidity (60%) for the air."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Experimental Evaluation of the Effect of Inlet Gas Humidification on Fuel Cell Performance"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Ellis, Michael W."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Von Spakovsky, Michael R.","Nelson, Douglas J."],"dc:contributor.department":["Mechanical Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Evans, John P."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2011-08-06T14:38:27Z"],"dc:date.available":["2011-08-06T14:38:27Z","2003-10-06"],"dc:date.issued":["2003-09-17"],"dc:description.abstract":["The development and evaluation of a fuel cell test stand incorporating various methods for controlling the temperature and humidity of fuel cell reactants is described. The test stand is capable of accurately metering gas flows, controlling the temperature and humidity of the gases, and delivering the gases to the fuel cell in a safe manner. Additionally, the test stand can measure the voltage and current produced by the fuel cell during operation. Two test stands were constructed and evaluated, one using steam injection for fuel cell stacks and the other using flash evaporation for individual fuel cells. Both test stands were shown to provide adequate control at the upper end of the design range. The flash evaporation test apparatus was used to investigate the effect of inlet gas humidity on fuel cell performance. 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