A Study of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells by the Measurement of AC Impedance,Current Interrupt,and Dew Points: 2. Effect of Cell Temperature

The effect of cell temperature on the performance of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell was examined in the present study. Measurements using the current interrupt and AC impedance methods showed that membrane resistance increased as the cell temperature was reduced. The charge transfer resistance, determined by the AC impedance method, also increased with decreasing cell temperature. The results of electrochemical analysis showed that the temperature of the cell strongly affected the performance of the membrane–electrode assembly in the cell. In addition, the water balance calculated from dew points of fuel gases changed with cell temperature. At a cell temperature of 80 °C, ca. 80% of the water generated on the cathode passed through the membrane to the anode, while at a cell temperature of 40 °C, only ca. 20% of the water on the cathode passed through the membrane to the anode.