Experimental investigation into the impact of relative humidity on the durability of low-Pt PEMFCs

Abstract Proton exchange membrane fuel cells, or PEMFCs, have shown outstanding efficiency in turning hydrogen into power and hold promise for lowering transportation-related pollution emissions. The durability of PEMFCs can be significantly influenced by the reactant’s operation relative humidity (RH). The effect of RH was systematically investigated via the designed experiments to understand the degradation characteristics of the catalyst layer. The results revealed that a rise in RH during AST increases activation and concentration losses, resulting in a more severe performance deterioration. Increased RH accelerated Ostwald ripening, introducing more severe electrochemical surface area (ECSA) loss. In practice, reducing the RH can reduce catalyst layer deterioration. These discoveries help the development of high-durability PEMFCs.