Design and optimization of membrane electrode assembly for an air breathing polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

Fuel cells are devices that generates electricity from fuel (hydrogen or hydrogen-rich fuel) and oxygen via an electrochemical process. Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) are chosen for mobile devices and vehicles because of its high power density, high energy conversion efficiency, having a small size and weight, and low operation temperatures. A PEMFC is suitable for portable applications where size and energy density are important. Batteries are being used portable devices are reaching limits in their ability to provide the required amount of energy. Fuel cells are capable of meeting these requirements because of the high energy-content.In this M Sc. thesis, to be used in portable devices, experiments were performed to optimize the structural parameters of an air breathing PEM fuel cell by using Taguchi experimental design method. To be obtained maximum power density, experiments aimed at membrane electrode assembly shows the best performance was realized.