Effect of Porous Metal Flow Field in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell under Pressurized Condition

A flow field represents an interesting research area related to polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), as it is a component crucial for the distribution of gas-phase reactants. In this study, a metal foam was characterized and applied as a flow field in a PEMFC unit cell. In addition, the electrochemical performance of the metal foam was compared with that of the commonly used serpentine flow field. At a relative humidity (RH) of 100%, no significant difference in performance was observed between the metal foam and serpentine flow field. However, the performance of a single cell with the metal foam was superior to that of the common flow field under an RH of 20% under pressurized conditions. Furthermore, the factors affecting fuel cell performance by application of the flow field were discussed.