Design and Performance Analysis of Micro Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

This study describes a novel micro proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) (active area, 2.5 cm2). The flow field plate is manufactured by applying micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology to silicon substrates to etch flow channels without a gold-coating. Therefore, this investigation used MEMS technology for fabrication of a flow field plate and presents a novel fabrication procedure. Various operating parameters, such as fuel temperature and fuel stoichiometric flow rate, are tested to optimize micro PEMFC performance. A single micro PEMFC using MEMS technology reveals the ideal performance of the proposed fuel cell. The optimal power density approaches 232.75 mW·cm−1 when the fuel cell is operated at ambient condition with humidified, heated fuel.