Review of recent developments in fuel cell centrifugal air compressor: Comprehensive performance and testing techniques

The air compressor for fuel cell system (FCS) is used to supply air for the cathode of fuel cell whose performance directly affects the efficiency of the whole system. Compared with the traditional air compressor, the special air compressor for vehicle fuel cell needs to meet the requirements of oil-free, high pressure ratio, high efficiency, low noise, low weight, small volume and fast dynamic response. In this study, through comparative analysis of various types of air compressors, it is clear that centrifugal air compressors have the best comprehensive effects on power density, isentropic efficiency, noise, volume and so on, and it will be the mainstream development direction of FCS special air compressors in the future. The current development and problems are systematically reviewed and analyzed, and the future development trend is also proposed. In addition, the durability test for centrifugal air compressors is also discussed, and the life test conditions of centrifugal air compressors are presented. This study is beneficial for the researchers to obtain a holistic view of the overall state of centrifugal air compressor and is of guidance to design a more efficient and commercial fuel cell system.