Temperature-Driven Water Transport Through Membrane Electrode Assembly Of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

A quantitative investigation has been carried out to examine the effect of through-plane temperature difference on water transport across the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The presence of a temperature difference across the cell was found to cause a significant amount of water to transport through the MEA in the direction towards the colder side; the water transport rate increased with temperature and temperature gradient. This study reveals the importance of thermo-osmosis in PEM fuel cells (PEMFCs) and the need to consider the through-plane temperature profile in water management design and operation in PEMFCs. © 2006 The Electrochemical Society