Investigation of the Effect of Fan Configuration and Spacing on Thermal Management Performance in a Closed Graphite Air‐Cooled Fuel Cell Stack

This study investigates a 10‐layer closed graphite air‐cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack using a combination of experimental and numerical simulation methods to explore the effects of fan configuration (single‐fan inhalation/blowing and dual‐fan blowing) and fan–stack spacing on the temperature distribution and airflow uniformity of the stack. The results indicate that the inhalation mode produces a uniform airflow but exhibits weaker heat dissipation capability, whereas the blowing mode provides stronger cooling performance but results in a less uniform temperature distribution. The dual‐fan blowing mode achieves both high cooling efficiency and good uniformity, maintaining the overall stack temperature difference within 2.5°C. As the spacing increases, the airflow distribution becomes more uniform and the temperature gradient decreases, with approximately 30 mm identified as the optimal spacing for balanced flow and heat transfer performance. This study clarifies the key influence of fan arrangement and spacing on the temperature distribution in closed graphite air‐cooled PEMFCs, providing theoretical support for the design and optimization of stack thermal management systems.