Experimental study of homogeneity improvement and degradation mitigation in PEMFCs using improved reaction area utilization

Abstract

The durability and degradation issues of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) utilized in high-humidity environments and small stack sizes are investigated in this study. To address the lack of uniformity in operation and the resulting degradation, a method for improving the uniformity of current density distribution and reducing degradation in PEMFCs is proposed. This is achieved by periodically controlling the flow direction using a reverse-flow configuration. The proposed method resulted in a delay of degradation by approximately 7% based on the end of degradation experiment. Furthermore, the uniformity of current density distribution and voltage differences between cells in the stack were improved. The proposed method exhibits potential for enhancing the durability and performance of PEMFCs in high-humidity environments and small stack sizes, thereby mitigating carbon or Pt degradation, particularly in applications such as micro mobilities.