Abstract
In recent years, driven largely by the increased focus on environmental issues and effective use of energy resouses, fuel cell cogeneration systems for home use have become increasingly popular. Since 2008, such systems have been sold under the name ENE-FARM. At the heart of the system is a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC) which generates electricity though a chemical reaction between hydrogen(fuel) and oxygen in the air, in which water is produced as a by-product. Cell peformance is greatly dependent upon water transport between the anode and cathode. In this study, water transport was measured under various conditions by changing the operating cell conditions and the properties of Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA). The results showed that cell performance was related to water transport. In continuous operation, uneven in-plane distribution of current was observed. Thus, to understand the properties of a PEFC, it is useful to visualize the water distribution in the MEA, which is closely linked to fuel cell performance.
