Effect of water transport on the electrical performance of PEM fuel cell

Abstract

This study investigates the electrical performance of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) by using the two-phase model taking into account the formation of liquid water. Mass transfer resistances from a water flooding problem are also considered to analyze the fuel cell performance. The effect of important operating conditions, such as temperature and humidity of fuel and air on PEMFC in terms of the distribution of gas composition and the electrical characteristics of fuel cell is investigated. The results show that the performance of PEMFC can be improved when increasing operating temperatures and fuel and air humidity. Water flooding at the cathode side increases with increased current density. The presence of the water flooding causes high concentration loss, degrading the PEMFC performance. © 2014 The Authors.