Application of Metal Foam as a Flow Field for PEM Fuel Cell Stack

The channel/rib structure, commonly used in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), has disadvantages of uneven pressure distribution, gas supply, and produced-water management under rib portion. In recent years, porous metal foam has been studied as an alternative flow field. We determined that the application of porous metal foams improved the PEMFC performance by compensating for the drawback of the channel/rib-type flow field owing to the unique properties of metal foams (e.g., high conductivity, high porosity, and ease-of-deformation). Thus, this study confirmed the difference in the PEMFC performance with metal foams depending on cell configurations. Furthermore, the actual 500 W class PEMFC stack was fabricated to confirm the possibility of the metal foam application in the stack scale.