Proton exchange membrane fuel cell

The fuel cell of choice for a wide range of applications spanning portable, stationary and transportation markets is the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). This is principally because of the high power density and the relatively low temperature of operation. Today the PEMFC typically operates at close to 80ºC although there is a desire to move to higher temperatures close to 150ºC to mitigate the effects of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning at the anode. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is the key component where hydrogen and air react electrochemically to generate electrical power. The MEA is typically located between a pair of flow field plates to give a single cell. The flow field plates are designed to distribute the reactant gases across the face of the MEA and also to collect the electrical current from the MEA. Sufficient unit cells are connected electrically to generate the desired power output. Depending on the application, a PEMFC system may contain from tens to a few thousand MEAs to produce from a few watts to several hundred kilowatts of power.