Effect of vapor chamber on thermo-electrical characteristics of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells have high energy density, but thermal management problems caused by insufficient heat dissipation during operation seriously threaten their output performance and durability. In this paper, a type of specially designed vapor chamber was developed and integrated into a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack to enhance its thermal performance. A comprehensive study was conducted on the thermal-electrical characteristics of proton exchange membrane fuel cells with vapor chambers under different working conditions. The results indicated that the vapor chamber could conduct heat quickly and evenly, leading to better cooling performance and thermal uniformity of the fuel cell. Compared to the conventional proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack, the stack with the vapor chamber was found to have a 30% decrease in ohmic resistance and a 5.5% increase in output power. In addition, cooling conditions and gravity have been shown to significantly affect the thermal characteristics of fuel cells. The vapor chamber can effectively avoid thermal runaway caused by the rapid increase in heat, thereby making the stack operation safer and more reliable. The related research work has important guiding significance and reference value for the development of a high-efficiency and compact PEMFC thermal management system. •Vapor chamber enhances heat transfer and improves thermal uniformity of PEMFCs.•Vapor chamber reduces ohmic resistance by 30% and increases output power by 5.5%.•Vapor chamber reduces temperature rise rate, making PEMFCs operation safer and more reliable.•Gravity affects capillary limit of vapor chamber and thus thermal performance of PEMFCs.