| A protonic exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was designed and evaluated using a commercial demonstrative model called PEMPower 1-Eco, by H-TEC Wasserstoff-Energie-Systeme GmbH as a guide. The cell was constructed over an 8 cm x 10 cm acrylic structure, where the polymer PDADMAC was used as an electrolyte, cooper and aluminum perforate plates as electrodes, and hydrogen and oxygen as reactants. Two perforations on the electrodes measuring 1.5mm and 4.6 mm were used to characterize the two experimental cells. The characteristic curve voltage vs current, and the efficiency of the cells were determined.; In the commercial cell, the mean voltage difference between 100 Ω and 0.3 Ω was found to be 0.366 V, in the first experimental cell it was found to be 0.252 V, and in the second experimental cell it was found to be 0.215 V.; The current generation was determined to be 626 mA, 40 mA and 36 mA, for the commercial cell, the first and second experimental cells, respectively. For the commercial cell, the energy efficiency with 0.5 Ω resistance was 43.5%, while for the first and second experimental cells was 18.04% and 11.12% respectively. |
