Performance improvement in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with separated coolant flow channels in the anode and cathode

Abstract Thermal management is critical for improving the performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Operation temperature can directly affect the saturated water vapour pressure and thus the water transport between the anode and cathode in PEMFCs. However, current researches on the effect of operation temperature on the performance are based on convenient design of a joint coolant flow channel for the anode and cathode. Consequently, the independent effect of the temperature on the anode or cathode is ignored. In this study, a single PEMFC with separated coolant flow channels in the anode and cathode is fabricated to investigate the effects of different anode and cathode operation temperatures on the performance. The results show that different anode and cathode operation temperatures could affect the performance of PEMFCs. A lower anode temperature improved the electro-osmotic drag role of water transport from anode to cathode. Hence, the PEMFC performance increased both with the increasing cathode operation temperature and the temperature differences between the cathode and anode. Higher operation temperature improves the activity of the catalyst, and water management and elevated operation pressure affect the kinetics of the electrochemical reaction. Peak performance is obtained through the balance of operation temperature, pressure and water management, particularly for different anode and cathode operation temperatures of PEMFCs.