Wei Dong¹, Baoqi Guo², Weiwei Zhao², Hui Jian², Zhenzong He^2,*

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.24, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/fhmt.2025.075848 - 30 April 2026

Abstract This study explores the design of a tapered cathode flow channel in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), leveraging artificial intelligence and multi-objective optimization techniques to attain an optimal configuration. First, the influence of the channel height ratio and mass flow rate on PEMFC performance was systematically examined. The results reveal that decreasing the height ratio and increasing the mass flow rate lead to reduction in the standard deviation of current density, accompanied by a monotonic rise in pressure drop. The average current density initially rises before exhibiting a slight decline. Subsequently, a surrogate… More >

Saddam Husain Dhobi^1,2,*, Kishori Yadav², Suresh Prasad Gupta^2,*, Jeevan Jyoti Nakarmi¹, Ajay Kumar Jha³

Energy Engineering, Vol.123, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ee.2026.076691 - 27 April 2026

Abstract Increasing requirements on clean, efficient, and sustainable energy technologies have raised interest in hydrogen fuel cells, particularly proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), which are operationally characterized by high efficiency with zero emissions. The objective of this work is to study the scattering behaviors of particles participating in scattering under various conditions (energy, efficiency, temperature, cell voltage) at/around the electrode of PEMFC theoretically. For this, we developed a model using a scattering matrix, the Kroll-Watson approximation, the thermal wave function of an electron in a laser field, interaction potential, and Bessel functions to study the… More > Graphic Abstract

Wei Shi^1,2, Shusheng Xiong^1,2,3,*, Wei Li^2,3, Kai Meng⁴, Qingsheng Liu⁴

Energy Engineering, Vol.122, No.9, pp. 3507-3523, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ee.2025.065579 - 26 August 2025

Abstract In the realm of all-electric aircraft research, the integration of cathode-open proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) with lithium batteries as a hybrid power source for small to medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has garnered significant attention. The PEMFC, serving as the primary energy supply, markedly extends the UAV’s operational endurance. However, due to payload limitations and spatial constraints in the airframe layout of UAVs, the stack requires customized adaptation. Moreover, the implementation of auxiliary systems to facilitate cold starts of the PEMFC under low-temperature conditions is not feasible. Relying solely on thermal insulation measures… More >

Hongen Li, Hongjuan Ren^*, Cong Li, Yecui Yan

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.23, No.3, pp. 921-941, 2025, DOI:10.32604/fhmt.2025.066512 - 30 June 2025

Abstract The flow field architecture of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) cathode critically determines its performance. To enhance PEMFC operation through structural optimization, trapezoidal obstacles were implemented in the cathode flow channels. The height dependence of these obstacles was systematically investigated, revealing that a 0.7 mm obstacle height enhanced mass transfer from channels to the gas diffusion layer (GDL) compared to conventional triple-serpentine designs. This configuration achieved a 12.08% increase in limiting current density alongside improved water management. Subsequent studies on obstacle distribution density identified 75% density as optimal, delivering maximum net power density More >

Ziyang Niu^1,#, Xiaofen Wang^2,4,#, Yuanyuan Li^1,2,3,*, Zhuo He², Feng Huang¹, Qianjun Deng², Fei Hu², Qiongyu Zhou^2,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.42, No.1, pp. 57-80, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2025.060401 - 27 March 2025

Abstract Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have gained increasing interests as promising power sources due to their ability to convert hydrogen and oxygen directly into electricity with high efficiency and zero greenhouse gas emissions. Bipolar plates (BPs) are considered as a critical component of PEMFCs, serving to collect current, separate gases, distribute the flow field, and conduct heat. This paper reviews the technical status and advancements in BP materials, with special focus on strategies for enhancing interfacial contact resistance (ICR) and corrosion resistance through conductive polymer (CP) coatings. First, commonly used BP materials in PEMFCs More >

Guodong Zhang¹, Huifang Tao¹, Da Li¹, Kewei Chen², Guoxiang Li^1,*, Shuzhan Bai¹, Ke Sun^1,*

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.20, No.1, pp. 219-237, 2024, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2023.025566 - 08 November 2023

Abstract A suitable channel structure can lead to efficient gas distribution and significantly improve the power density of fuel cells. In this study, the influence of two channel design parameters is investigated, namely, the ratio of the channel width to the bipolar plate ridge width (i.e., the channel ridge ratio) and the channel depth. The impact of these parameters is evaluated with respect to the flow pattern, the gas composition distribution, the temperature field and the fuel cell output capability. The results show that a decrease in the channel ridge ratio and an increase in the More >

Jian Yao, Fayi Yan^*, Xuejian Pei

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.19, No.6, pp. 1425-1445, 2023, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2023.025282 - 30 January 2023

Abstract Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are largely used in various applications because of their pollution-free products and high energy conversion efficiency. In order to improve the related design, in the present work a new spiral flow field with a bypass is proposed. The reaction gas enters the flow field in the central path and diffuses in two directions through the flow channel and the bypass. The bypasses are arranged incrementally. The number of bypasses and the cross-section size of the bypasses are varied parametrically while a single-cell model of the PEMFC is used. The More > Graphic Abstract

Lei Zhang¹, Yinlong Yuan^1,*, Yihe Sun², Yun Cheng¹, Dian Wu¹, Lei Ren¹

Energy Engineering, Vol.119, No.1, pp. 387-405, 2022, DOI:10.32604/EE.2022.017463 - 22 November 2021

Abstract With the aggravation of energy problems, the development and utilization of new energy has become the focus of all countries. As an effective new energy, the fuel cell has attracted the attention of scholars. However, due to the particularity of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), the performance of traditional PI controlled phase-shifted full-bridge power electronics DC-DC converter cannot meet the needs of practical application. In order to further improve the dynamic performance of the converter, this paper first introduces several main topologies of the current mainstream front-end DC-DC converter, and analyzes their performance in… More >

A. M. Abdullah¹, Hegazy Rezk^2,3,*, A. Hadad¹, Mohamed K. Hassan^1,4, A. F. Mohamed^1,5

Intelligent Automation & Soft Computing, Vol.29, No.2, pp. 619-631, 2021, DOI:10.32604/iasc.2021.018289 - 16 June 2021

Abstract The problem of parameter estimation of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) model plays a significant role in the simulation and optimization of a PEMFC system. In the current research, a moth flame optimization algorithm (MFOA) is used to identify the best parameters of PEMFC. Two different PEMFCs, Nedstack PS6, 6 kW, and SR-12 PEM 500 W are used to demonstrate the accuracy of the MFOA. Throughout the optimization process, seven unidentified parameters (℥₁, ℥₂, ℥₃, ℥₄, λ, ℛ, and B) of PEMFC are appointed to be decision variables. The fitness function, which needed to be… More >

Jiarong Liang¹, Yinshi Li^1,2,*, Jinghui Jiang¹

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.22, No.3, pp. 168-168, 2019, DOI:10.32604/icces.2019.05679

Abstract Designing cost-effective electrodes is essential to the development of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Therein, the highly ordered electrode has been proved to be effective by reducing Pt loading. To insight into the enhancement mechanism of ordered membrane electrode assembly (OMEA), in this work, a two-dimensional steady-state multicomponent mass-transport model is developed, in which a cylindrical structure model is adapted to account for the diffusion characteristics of reactants in ordered catalyst layer. Moreover, the overpotential corresponding to mass and charge transport limitations are calculated in this model based on concentration distribution and Ohm’s law,… More >