Performance of PEMFCs with internal humidification

Special capillary pipeline assembly was introduced into polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) to test anode water shortage and cathode water surplus. Reactant recirculation was used to preserve product water. Fiberglass colligations were used to connect the anode and cathode together outside the fuel cell. Performance of the PEMFCs exhausting various amounts of cathode tail gas was studied by using polarization curves and constant current test. The results show that product water at the cathode can humidify the anode effectively by the transport of the same through the capillary pipeline outside the PEMFC. The high or low flow rate of exhaust cathode tail gas has an adverse effect on the performance of PEMFCs. (c) 2006 The Electrochemical Society.