Recent development in the design of proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack: Theory, integration and prospective

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have emerged as a promising solution for clean and efficient energy conversion in high-power applications such as transportation, marine and offshore power, stationary backup/prime power, and mission-critical defense systems. However, their large-scale deployment is still constrained by performance degradation, cell-to-cell non-uniformity, limited durability under dynamic operation, and high cost at the stack and system levels. This review summarizes recent progress in high-power PEMFC stack design and integration, covering key component technologies, together with structural design factors that govern compression, sealing, flow distribution, and thermal management. Coupled subsystem designs for gas supply, water/heat management and control are discussed to illustrate how material choices, structural features and operating strategies interact to determine stack efficiency, reliability and lifetime. Typical high-power application scenarios are analyzed to highlight practical engineering considerations and remaining commercialization bottlenecks. Future research directions include low-cost and durable materials, multiphysics co-design for uniformity and weakest-cell protection, AI-assisted monitoring and control, and the standardization of scalable manufacturing and quality-assurance procedures. This review aims to provide theoretical guidance and engineering insight into the advancement and future potential of high-power PEMFC technologies. • Advances in the design and integration of high-power PEMFC systems are addressed. • Key aspects include stack, water-gas-thermal management, and power management are reviewed. • Future prospects for system optimization and durability enhancement are suggested.