Enhancing the cold start ability of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) can widely apply fuel cells in a cold environment. In this study, PEMFC cold start performance was significantly affected by penetrating holes in a cathode micro-diffusion layer (MDL). The testing MDLs were mechanically processed with 0.2-mm-diameter and 0.5-mm-diameter penetrating holes, respectively, and the normal MDL as reference. Fundamental water permeance and PEMFC performance tests at normal temperature were conducted beforehand for all MDLs. The cold start of the fuel cell was experimentally studied by monitoring PEMFC voltage and high-frequency impedance. Results show that the 0.5-mm-diameter penetrating holes improve the water permeance at least three orders of magnitude than the normal MDL. The fuel cell using the MDL with the 0.2-mm-diameter penetrating holes performs best in regular operation at 70 degrees C and in cold starts from -7 degrees C. (c) 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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