Design of Heat Exchangers with Cooling Fins in Fuel Cell-Powered Electric Aircraft: Genetic Optimization Approach with CFD Validation

Hydrogen fuel cell systems present a promising solution for electrified aero engines, thanks to their high efficiency and environmental advantages. However, their integration for regional aircraft poses significant challenges, particularly regarding system weight and thermal management, due to lower current mass-specific power densities of the propulsion system. In electric aircraft applications, efficient thermal management is crucial to maintaining the performance and longevity of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC). A key component of this thermal management system is the heat exchanger (HEX), which plays a vital role in dissipating waste heat and ensuring optimal operating conditions. This study aims to develop an optimized HEX design that enhances waste heat recovery from PEMFCs while minimizing mass, volume, pressure drop, and aerodynamic drag to make fuel cell integration more viable for electric aircraft. To achieve this, a multi-objective optimization framework leveraging the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA) is introduced, addressing the unique constraints of aerospace applications and providing a range of optimized design trade-offs for informed selection based on operational priorities. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations validate the analytical correlations from the preliminary design and evaluate the robustness of the proposed designs. Results highlight the influence of various design parameters, such as inlet air and coolant velocities, HEX effectiveness, and fin configurations, on mass, volume, pressure drop, and drag. By maximizing heat recovery efficiency, this approach enhances PEMFC integration in electric aircraft, laying the foundation for advanced thermal management solutions in the next generation of electric aviation.