Experimental study of the effect of hydrogen humidification on open-cathode PEMFC performance

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, 55284, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

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Abstract

Continuous efforts to develop environmentally friendly and renewable energy technologies are being undertaken in response to the increasing global energy demand. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have emerged as an innovative alternative power source to replace conventional batteries, which generally have low power density. In this study, the hydrogen gas flow rate was varied and then humidified under three conditions: dry (without humidification), room temperature (~30°C), and heating (~40°C). Then, the polarisation curve was plotted as the main indicator of fuel cell performance, where the hydrogen flow rate was 25, 35, and 45 mL/min loaded with a constant current using a DC load. Based on the experiment, among the three conditions, the humidification mechanism (both at room temperature and heating) increased the measured voltage value, which had a correlation with fuel cell performance. The best condition was obtained when the bubble humidifier was controlled at a temperature of ~40°C, where a peak power density value of 0.133 mW/cm² was obtained. Overall, this study demonstrates that the combination of hydrogen flow rate control and heated humidification is an effective strategy to improve the performance stability of low-power passive open-cathode PEMFCs.