Experimental study on improving the dynamic characteristics of open-cathode PEMFC stack with dead-end anode by condensation and circulation of hydrogen

Abstract Water management is one of the most important issues for proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack. Liquid water accumulates in the stack may impede the transport of the reaction gas, resulting in unstable output performance and poor durability. In this study, Condensation mode and Condensation Circulation mode are proposed to reduce the accumulation of liquid water in the anode compartment, thus reducing the risk of flooding. Comparative research among the traditional dead-end anode (DEA) mode and presented modes are carried out on a ten-cell open-cathode PEMFC stack. The comparisons show that the proposed strategies can effectively alleviate the voltage decay caused by flooding and improve output stability. And the Condensation Circulation mode is more effective than the Condensation mode.