Performance estimation of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell operating on diluted hydrogen feed

In the application of Proton Exchanged Membrane (PEM) fuel cells in a "hydrogen-challenged" economy, hydrogen can be produced by reforming natural gas or hydrocarbon fuels. For the reforming process, a steam reforming of methanol or natural gas are the most commonly used reforming systems for commercial and residential application. In such a fuel reforming system, a hydrogen-rich fuel gas contains about 70-80% hydrogen. The effects of reformate fuel on the performance of PEM fuel cells have been discussed in the literature and a substantial loss in performance during PEM fuel cell operation was reported. To investigate the effect of reformate on cell performance and endurance, an experimental set was assembled using a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The cell was set to operate on different hydrogen dilution. The effects of gas composition, fuel utilization and transient behaviour have been investigated.