Application progress of small-scale proton exchange membrane fuel cell
Zixuan Wang, Zhi Liu, Linhao Fan, Qing Du, Kui Jiao
Abstract
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are promising power sources owing to their high-power/energy densities and low pollution emissions. With the increasing demand for electricity for various low-power devices, small-scale storage of electricity encountered bottle-neck, which provides new opportunities for PEMFC. Owing to the high specific energy of PEMFCs, the utilization of this technology for small-scale applications has recently attracted significant attention. In recent years, considerable effort has been made to advance PEMFC technology and applications, especially in the small-scale PEMFC commercial market. The current review provides a holistic overview of the cutting-edge developments of small-scale PEMFCs in the transportation, stationary, and portable power generator fields. In particular, we examine current literature on the development of small-scale PEMFCs and discuss the operating complexity of PEMFC systems for different applications. Finally, we provide a forward-looking perspective on the strategies for small-scale high-specific-power PEMFC systems.