Experimental investigation of the impact of temperature and pressure variations on the performance of Pem fuel cells

Abstract The limited availability of fossil fuels, which cause serious environmental damage such as the greenhouse effect, global warming, and acid rain, compels people to turn to alternative energy sources. Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells provide high efficiency by converting electrochemical energy into electrical energy without harming the environment. PEM fuel cells stand out due to their high performance at low operating temperatures and their portability. In this study, a single cell PEM fuel cell with a 5 cm 2 active area and a Nafion 212 membrane was used to conduct experiments at room temperature under constant pressures of 0.5 bar and 2 bar, with temperature increases of 10°C in the range of 60°C to 90°C. The values obtained from the experiments were recorded using precision measuring devices, and the experimental results were analyzed. The analysis revealed that the optimal operating temperature for PEM fuel cells is around 80°C and that performance improves with increased pressure. When the inlet pressure was raised from 0.5 bar to 2 bar, an average performance improvement of 15.98% was observed in the temperature range of 60°C to 90°C.