Research on integrated energy system of fuel cells for space application

The current research status of fuel cells in the space field is first introduced, followed by an analysis of the comprehensive utilization mode of fuel cell energy from three aspects: water, gas, and heat. The fuel evaporated from the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks of spacecraft can be used for fuel cell power generation. The heat generated by fuel cells can be used to preheat gases through a dual-channel heat exchanger, achieving thermal energy recovery for hydrogen and oxygen fuels. The water produced by fuel cells can be separated and recovered through static drainage for reuse in heating control or environmental control systems. A prototype of a fuel cell power generation system is designed and relevant performance tests are conducted. When the fuel cell system stably generates 400W of power, approximately 215W of waste heat can be reused. The utilization efficiency of hydrogen and oxygen fuels reaches over 97%, and the water recovery efficiency of the system reaches over 95%.