effect of pulsing the oxidant flow on PEM fuel cell performance

Verification of a numerical model, used to describe the processes within a PEM Fuel Cell, revealed interesting results in the fuel cell's performance. To verify the transient response of the model, the oxidant supplied to the fuel cell was pulsed at various frequencies, which led to improvements in performance. In addition two novel methods to help determine the operating conditions within a PEM Fuel Cell were developed. The first method utilized several thermocouples, evenly spaced over the site of reaction to monitor regional temperatures, while the second method utilized a special sensor to detect regional moisture conditions. All aspects of the verification process met with limited success, since the proper level of humidification to the fuel cell was not achieved.