Authors:
T. Anand, S. Kevin Bennett, C. Elayaraja, Fatima Hamouche, K. Daniel Jasper

Addresses:
Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Dhaanish Ahmed College of Engineering, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Department of Chemistry, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Morocco. School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.

Abstract:

Human activity, industrial development, and social advancement require energy. The tremendous rise in global energy consumption, along with the environmental and economic constraints of conventional energy sources, has made clean, efficient, and sustainable alternatives essential. Fuel cells are popular for their high energy conversion efficiency and low environmental impact. However, inefficient water management, non-uniform gas flow, instability in temperature and pressure, membrane conductivity issues, and limitations in microfluidic channel design limit their adoption, thereby affecting performance and durability. This research models, simulates, and builds microfluidic channel-based fuel cells to improve energy delivery and system reliability. A cost-effective, scalable design strategy was developed using the Finite Element Method and COMSOL Multiphysics simulations. Fuel cell performance is examined with ion-exchange layers, optimised microfluidic geometries, and enhanced stack topologies. Five experiments examined current density improvement, the effect of water pH on PEM fuel cells, impurity-induced electrode corrosion, microchannel gas flow, and Taguchi method parameter optimisation. Researchers found that an ion-exchange layer lowers electrode deterioration and boosts efficiency, while optimised channel designs provide uniform gas delivery. Overall, the findings suggest a realistic approach to high-performance microfluidic fuel cell systems for energy applications.

Keywords: Fuel Cell; Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM); Microfluidic Channels; Energy Demand; Energy Consumption; Conventional Energy Sources; Environmental Impact; Energy Systems.

Received on: 03/07/2024, Revised on: 20/09/2024, Accepted on: 28/01/2025, Published on: 05/12/2025

DOI: 10.69888/FTSASS.2025.000569

FMDB Transactions on Sustainable Applied Sciences, 2025 Vol. 2 No. 2, Pages: 96-104

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