Title: The effect of membrane thickness on the exergetic performance in PEMFC

Authors: Nisa Nur Atak; Zeynep Erdem; Şevval Tuna; Battal Doğan; Murat Kadir Yeşilyurt

Addresses: Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Gazi University, 06500, Ankara, Turkey ' Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Gazi University, 06500, Ankara, Turkey ' Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Gazi University, 06500, Ankara, Turkey ' Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Gazi University, 06500, Ankara, Turkey ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering-Architecture, Yozgat Bozok University, 66200, Yozgat, Turkey

Abstract: In this research, thermodynamic analysis of a PEMFC operating at constant temperature (303 K) and pressure (3 atm) with 50 cm² active surface area was performed, considering the changes in thermal efficiency, exergy destruction, and exergy efficiency when using nafion polymer membranes of different thicknesses (0.0051, 0.0089, 0.0127, and 0.0183 cm). It is observed that the exergy efficiency was lower for a thicker membrane. The exergy efficiency of the system for NF-1135 was 35.93% meanwhile 30.67% for NF-117. Ascending the membrane thickness (MT) from 0.0089 to 0.0183 cm descended the exergy efficiency by 10.31% and thermal efficiency by 12.09%.

Keywords: proton exchange membrane fuel cell; PEMFC; Nafion polymer membrane; thickness; thermal efficiency; exergy destruction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2024.136936

International Journal of Exergy, 2024 Vol.43 No.2, pp.163 - 176

Received: 15 Nov 2023
Accepted: 09 Jan 2024
Published online: 29 Feb 2024 *

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