OPTIMAL OPERATION CONDITIONS IDENTIFICATION OF AN OPEN CATHODE PEMFC FOR MOBILE APPLICATIONS

Dorin Schitea^1,*, Laurențiu Pătularu¹, Elena Carcadea¹, Gabriel Răsoi¹, Ioan Așchilean²

¹National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenics and Isotopic Technologies - ICSI Rm. Valcea, Uzinei Street no. 4, P.O. Box Râureni 7, 240050, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania;

²Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Building Services Engineering Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

abstract

The integration of PEM fuel cell type in various industry branches, either for mobile or stationary applications, it is becoming increasingly due to the multiple advantages that they offer.

Operation optimization and sustainability increase of fuel cells are achieved by technical and constructive parameters of the cell components, especially by the geometric characteristics of gas flow channels made in graphite plates.

Uniform distribution of the humidified gas in the electrochemically active areas and rapid evacuation of water from the reaction zones are determined by the geometrical arrangement and number of channels through which supply the reactants and reaction products discharge.

Keywords: PEM fuel cell, open cathode PEMFC design, graphite plates.