Abstract:
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are very promising for power stationary applications. One of the key components of fuel cells is the flow field plate through which hydrogen fuel will reach the anode and oxygen reach the cathode. Another function of the flow field plate is the electron collection. Traditionally flow field plates are made of graphite which makes them good for current collection. But graphite is costly and the alternative steel is heavy. Thus with development of MEMS technology it becomes important to have flow field plates made of silicon or ceramics. As silicon and ceramics are not good electrical conductors, electrical contacts have to be attached to the Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL) for taking the power to outside world. This is achieved by attaching contact pads to the GDL area which are not covered by flow plates. A reduction in the power output from the cell is observed with current collection from the GDL. Here we build a three dimensional model for a fuel cell in which current collection is carried out by segmented contacts attached to the GDL and the reasons for drop in performance is studied. Also the current collection contact is segmented in order to increase the power output from the cell