Abstract
Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) are thoroughly examined in this work under various current density circumstances, ranging from 50 to 300 mA/cm2 at 1 Hz increments. By utilizing MATLAB Simulink for modelling the cooling system and examining interactions between fuel cell components, we investigated key parameters such as the Nernst equation, ohmic, concentration, and dynamic losses. The results indicated that higher currents exacerbate resistance effects, leading to significant ohmic and concentration losses. Initial measurements showed ohmic losses of 1.5 millivolts at 50 mA/cm2 and 8.8 millivolts at 300 mA/cm2, which were reduced to 1.25 millivolts and 7.65 millivolts respectively after optimization. Similarly, concentration losses decreased from 1.2 millivolts at 50 mA/cm2 and 13.3 millivolts at 300 mA/cm2 to 0.56 millivolts and 2.75 millivolts. These findings were validated against established literature and experimental data, confirming the accuracy of the model.The relationship between current and power output demonstrated substantial increases in power with higher currents, emphasizing the importance of effective thermal management. Power output initially increased from 5.97 watts at 50 mA/cm2 to 34.05 watts at 300 mA/cm2, and after optimization, it adjusted to 5.91 watts and 33.72 watts. The study showed that optimized values achieved a reduced error percentage, from 5.20% to 4.45%, aligning well with literature values. Additionally, dynamic losses were initially 4 millivolts at 50 mA/cm2, increasing to 26.7 millivolts at 300 mA/cm2, but after optimization, these values were 31 millivolts and 120 millivolts, respectively. This research underscores the critical role of effective thermal management and control strategies in enhancing the efficiency and reliability of PEMFC systems. The findings provide a comprehensive understanding of how varying current conditions affect PEMFC performance, paving the way for further innovations in fuel cell design and thermal management.