ABSTRACT
Microfluidics deals with fluid flow in submillimeter-sized systems under external influences. In particular, microfluidics plays an essential role in fuel cell performance as related to the transport of fluids, water management, and temperature distribution. Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell performance measurement is one of the diagnostic tools to understand the effect of different surface wettabilities of the fuel cell components on the nature of water removal in PEM fuel cell. Surface properties have a significant effect on PEM fuel cell performance. Water management is crucial to the effective operation of a PEM fuel cell. The PEM fuel cell is an electrochemical device used to facilitate the movement of electrons, producing useful energy and liberating water as an exhaust. Water is the only emission product of a PEM fuel cell, which is of prime commercial importance due to growing environmental concerns. Surface tension and wettability play a particularly important role in water removal from fuel cell minichannels.
