Strategies to optimize water management in anion exchange membrane fuel cells

The urgent need for green energy to curb environmental pollution and solve the energy crisis calls for the rapid development of clean power supplies. Besides proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) are a promising technology which get rid of precious catalysts and harsh strong acid environments. The target of reducing cost and enabling widespread commercialization may be met in the near future. The influence of water transfer in AEMFCs determines their power density and efficiency. This paper reviews the literature associated with water transfer in the bipolar plates, gas diffusion layers, catalyst layers, and membranes, researching the key issues in high performance fuel cells development. Furthermore, studies concerning water transfer under various operational conditions are analyzed in-depth and the core mechanism of water transfer is uncovered. Moreover, via the experimental and simulation methods summarized in this paper, efficient strategies are proposed and AEMFC water management is optimized. This review not only explains the water management mechanism, but also contributes to the enhancement of AEMFCs power density and efficiency.