Development and testing of a PEM fuel cell stack envisioning unmanned aerial vehicles applications

Abstract

This work deals with a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack designed for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Its performance and the effects of operating conditions are investigated. The 3-cell stack, each with 25 cm2 active area, has an open-cathode and a dead-end anode. It is cooled by the air supply fan and humidified by short-circuits. The stack power reaches 21 W at 15 A. Its individual cell voltages are similar up to 7.5 A but deviate as the current increases. The stack temperature rises with current, reaching close to 45 °C. Fan speed regulation should mainly target temperature control, as little effect on the stack power was found. Higher short-circuit duration and frequency improves the stack performance. Increasing H2 purge duration shows no significant effect. Increasing the interval between purges above a certain value causes the stack performance to decline. Below that, changing the purge interval has no effect.