Behavior of current distribution evolution under reactant starvation conditions based on a single polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with triple-serpentine flow field: An experimental study

Reactant starvation is unfavorable to the durability and life extension of PEMFC engines. In this paper, a 25 cm2 segmented PEMFC is assembled to investigate starvation phenomenon, and the contour maps of current distribution are given to analyze the reactant starvation mechanism. The experimental results prove the high-quality homogeneity of current with tripleserpentine configuration even under starvation conditions. The air starvation??experiments suggest the migration of lowest current region and the variation trend of standard deviation with the increasing of stoichiometry. The survival time increases with the anode stoichiometry, and the current density of anode downstream constantly increases with the reversal of cell, reflecting severe hydrogen starvation in these local areas. It is concluded ORR dominates the specific current distribution rather than any other electrochemical reactions. This study sheds the light of improving the lifespan and potential large-scale commercialization realization of PEMFC engines. ?? 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, a 25 cm2 segmented PEMFC engine was assembled to investigate reactant starvation phenomenon, and contour maps of current distribution were used to analyze the mechanism. The experimental results showed that the current distribution had high-quality homogeneity with the tripleserpentine configuration even under starvation conditions. Air starvation experiments indicated the migration of the lowest current region and a variation in standard deviation with increasing stoichiometry. It was concluded that ORR played a dominant role in the specific current distribution, and this study provided insights for improving the lifespan and potential commercialization of PEMFC engines.