Progress of proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Abstract

The rapid development of the economy of China leads to the significant growth of energy production and consumption demand. At present, the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions has ranked second in the world. To meet the challenges caused by global climate change and environmental pollution as well as realize the sustainable development of our country’s economy, carbon neutrality should be achieved. As a new type of low-temperature fuel cell, proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) attracts a lot of attention due to its safe and environmentally friendly characteristics. However, the operating efficiency of the current commercial PEMFC is rather low (about 50%), which means that about half of the energy will be released as thermal energy. The stable and reliable heat dissipation of the fuel cell has a decisive impact on its performance and life, i.e., thermal management issues are particularly important for the efficiency and stability of the PEMFC stack. This article reviews the thermal management of PEMFC and analyzes the specific applicable conditions of cooling methods as well as the latest developments in thermal management methods. Specifically, it focuses on the thermal characteristics of PEMFC and its effects on performance and life. Besides, the PEMFC thermal management schemes and control strategies under different cooling methods are also summarized.