Performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell system by considering the effects of the gas diffusion layer thickness, catalyst layer thickness, and operating temperature of the cell

In this research, the effect of anode and cathode channel cross-sectional shape on the performance of PEM fuel cell was investigated and the appropriate length and dimensions of the channel were determined. Finally, for the determined geometric conditions, the cell performance at different voltages was investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the structural characteristics of the fuel cell on its performance. The results show that the pressure and temperature in the catalyst layer (CL) of the cathode side are greater than the anode, and the temperature in the central regions of the catalyst layer is higher than the lateral regions. Also, the channel with a length of 100 mm is optimal in terms of producing the maximum current density and the amount of pressure drop is much lower than the channel with a length of 150 mm, which reduces the power consumption of the cell. In general, a higher electric current is produced by increasing the thickness of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and the catalyst layer. At a voltage of 0.8 V, with increasing thickness from 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm, the current density increases above 6 %. The percentage increase in current density at 60 °C–80 °C for 0.85 V and 0.75 V voltages is 42.1 % and 9.28 %, respectively.