A design study of economically viable PEM fuel cell

This paper critically examines the conventional design of the low temperature (up to 80°C) Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell and a manufacturing design that does not depend on bi polar plates is presented. The fuel cell cost depends on the material and also on the complex manufacturing process. Materials that can be easily machined but still suitable in a fuel cell environment have been extensively researched and appropriately chosen. The design also incorporates greatly simplified manufacturing processes of the components. As a result the cost of the fuel cell can be driven down considerably. A series of tests were performed with a number of key operating parameters to provide vital performance data and to decide on the optimal operating conditions for the fuel cell. Comparisons were made with the published performance data of conventional PEM fuel cell to prove the design concept. It was observed that the proposed design performs comparatively better at higher current densities.