The Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is a type of fuel cell that converts the chemical energy of hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy, heat, and water through an electrochemical reaction. Within the PEMFC, the Catalyst Coated Membrane (CCM) and the subsequent Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) are the most critical components that determine the baseline performance of the PEMFC. A simplified illustration of fuel cell stack with main components is shown below.
The CCM consists of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) coated on both sides with a catalyst layer. The catalyst layer facilitates the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, while the PEM acts as a barrier to separate the anode and cathode sides of the fuel cell and allows the protons to pass through.
A gas diffusion layer (GDL) is applied on top of the CCM on both electrodes to form the MEA, which is the heart of the PEMFC and is responsible for converting the chemical energy into electrical energy. The MEA consists of the CCM sandwiched between two GDLs and is typically housed in a metallic or plastic frame.
We supply scientific purpose CCM and MEA with customizeable size and inlet/outlet locations. Figure below shows a customized MEA that fit to our homemade metallic bipolar plate for benchmarking purpose. Please email us for queries.
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