Evaluation of the PEM Fuel Cell, PEMFC, Performance Under Variable Hydrogen Rates From the Seawater SWEL‐V Electrolyzers

The SWEL‐V electrolyzer employs a nonmetallic, permeable, and porous rock electrode that produces green hydrogen directly from seawater with no corrosion (M. Oraby and A. Shawqi, International Journal of Energy Research [2024] 2024:5576626; M. Oraby, United States Patent, Publication No. 2024/04100062 A1). This paper investigates the performance of a PEM fuel cell operating with hydrogen produced by the SWEL‐V electrolyzer with varying hydrogen flowrates. The fuel cell exhibited two distinct voltage plateaus where the locations and durations of these plateaus were strongly influenced by the hydrogen flowrates. An optimization function is developed to maximize and speed up the buildup of the fuel cell voltage through identifying the optimal hydrogen flowrate from the SWEL‐V electrolyzer. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing an integrated system combining seawater electrolysis and fuel cell technology.