FCL4

LOW-TEMPERATURE FUEL CELLS
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PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS (PEMFCs)
The PEMFCs were developed originally by General Electric in the 1960s for NASA’s space explorations. Over the years, these fuel cells have been known under various names, such as:
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proton exchange membrane
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ion exchange membrane
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solid polymer electrolyte
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or simply, polymer electrolyte.
They use hydrogen as fuel, oxygen or air as oxidant, and a solid polymer membrane as electrolyte.
Design Characteristics
The core of the PEMFC design consists of a proton conducting membrane (the electrolyte), located between two platinum-impregnated porous electrodes. Teflon gaskets and current collectors are added to these components to complete a single fuel cell unit. The core of the fuel cell is usually less than a millimeter thick and is referred to as the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). Depending on the mode of fabrication, MEA can include either the membrane along with the catalyst layers only, or the whole ensemble of the previously mentioned components plus the carbon electrodes. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of the PEMFC manufactured by Ballard Power Systems.