A simple mathematical model of performance for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Mathematical modeling is a powerful tool for improving the performance of fuel-cell stacks. In the presentwork, a mathematical model has been developed to study the performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) at different operation variables. The effects of different operating parameters on the performance of PEMFC have been studied using pure hydrogen on the anode side and air on the cathode side. Results with different fuel-cell operating temperatures, different operating pressures and various combinations of these parameters have been obtained. The possible mechanisms of the parameter effects and their inter-relationships are discussed. The modeling results compare well with the available experimental results. The comparison shows good agreement between the modeling results and the experimental data.