Effect of Anode/Cathode Operating Pressures on the Liquid Water Content and Performance of a PEM Fuel Cell

Abstract

The operating pressure has a significant influence in the performance of a fuel cell, as it influences the output voltage via activation, ohmic, and mass transport losses. In this work, experiments with a 50 cm2 polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell with serpentine flow field have been carried out to investigate the effects of the operating pressure on the cell performance, with a particular analysis of the liquid water distribution within the cell. A comprehensive matrix of anode and cathode pressures was analyzed, varying the anode and cathode pressure from 1.25 to 2.00 bar (abs). Neutron imaging was used to determine the liquid water distributions within the cell for each operating condition and to assess the effect of the different operating pressures. Cell voltage was also monitored during the experiments and included in the analysis. A certain accumulation of liquid water was found in the cathode channels, were the overall liquid water accumulation was found to be more significant for higher pressures. This dependence on the operating pressure was more pronounced for lower current densities, and it was more significant for cathode pressure than for anode pressure.

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