Improving the Performance Of Single Cells In The Design Of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) When Using Hydrogen

Abstract

A proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) was developed as a potential solution in power supply applications. In this study, the parameter values such as the relative humidity, the temperature, the pressure, the stoichiometric ratio of hydrogen to oxygen and the mass of catalyst used were varied to determine their effects on the single cell performance of PEMFC. The investigation showed that an increase in the temperature from 353 to 363 K resulted in a modest improvement in the single-cell performance. The single cell performance was more affected by an increase in relative humidity at the cathode (RHC) in comparison with an increase in relative humidity at the anode (RHA).The best performance when the cell was operated at a relative humidity values were 75% for the RHA and 90% for the RHC, the optimal operating temperature was 353 K, and the amount of Pt catalyst required was 0.2 mg.