Investigation of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance by Exploring the Synergistic Effects of Reaction Parameters via Power Curve and Impedance Spectroscopy Analysis

Abstract

In this paper, a comprehensive analysis of the parameters that affect polymer electrolyte membrane fuel-cell performance is presented. Experiments were conducted on a single fuel cell membrane with an active area of 5 cm2. To study the fuel cell operation, parametric studies of temperature, pressure and relative humidity values were conducted under cyclic voltammetry for impedance analysis. The impact of the behavior of all three parameters on the fuel-cell performance were recorded and analyzed. As the temperature increased from 50 °C to 74 °C, the Pt catalyst surface areas demonstrated lower activation losses as the membrane conductivity increased. It is confirmed that an increase in temperature accompanied higher humidity levels to provide sufficient cell hydration that resulted in a higher performance output. The impedance measurements indicate that low humidity levels resulted in higher cell resistance and mass transport losses. As the back pressure increased, the membrane resistance decreased, which also reduced mass transport losses. The results indicate that the important factors affecting the fuel cell performance are mass transport limitation and membrane resistance. Based on the results of this study, the optimum performance can be achieved by operating at higher pressures and temperatures with humidified reactant gases.