Experimental and numerical investigation on effects of cathode flow field configurations in an air-breathing high-temperature PEMFC

Air-breathing high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) gets rid of the cumbersome air supplying systems and avoids the water flooding problem by directly exposing the cathode to air and operating the fuel cell at elevated temperature. Performance of the air-breathing HT-PEMFC is dependent on many factors particularly the cathode flow field configurations. However, studies about air-breathing HT-PEMFCs are quite limited in the literature. In the present study, an experimental testing system was setup for the performance measurement of the air-breathing HT-PEMFC. A 3D numerical model was established and validated by the experimental data. Effects of the cathode flow field configurations including the opening shape, end plate thickness, open ratio and opening direction on performance of the air-breathing HT-PEMFC were experimentally and numerically investigated. It was found that the cathode end plate thickness and upward or sideways orientation have the least effect on the performance. The maximum power density of 160 mW/cm² at the current density of 394 mA/cm² can be achieved for the cathode flow field with slot holes and an open ratio of 75%.