Pressure driven dynamics in PEMFCs: A comprehensive study on gas pressure influence over performance efficiency and stability

In this paper, we explored gas pressure as a determining factor influencing the performance, efficiency, and durability of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). An extensive simulation model was developed over operating pressures ranging from 1 to 4 atm at 353 K under fully humidified conditions. The findings indicated that increasing pressure by 1 atm to 2 atm enhances net efficiency by 17% (48.5 to 56.8%) and, correspondingly, maximum current density increases to 1.40 A cm-2 and the stack life is estimated to be even longer, to almost 6,000 hours. Nonetheless, beyond a pressure of 4 atm, the returns are non-linear as compressor penalties become nearly 5-fold over baseline and long-term stability decreases to 5,100 hours. These results highlight the ideal operating range of 2–3 atm, and efficiency, durability, and water balance were optimized at the same time, which is consistent with and like earlier experimental works. The article gives practical information on pressure-tuning measures of PEMFCs in vehicle, marine, and non-portable energy systems.