Experimental investigation of a PEM fuel cell stack suitable for AUVapplication

the use of autonomous underwater systems, such as AUVs, is currently limited by their onboardenergy supply. The emergence of a higher capacity power source could be a breakthrough that extendsthese technologies field of application. Endurance is one of the most important performances ofUnmanned Underwater Vehicles. Especially power determines the range and mission characteristics ofthe vehicle. Fuel cell power systems have been identified as an effective means to achieve thisendurance. In this study, a ۳kW PEM fuel cell stack is investigated in an enclosure to ensureperformance reliability. The results showed that the fuel cell can operate autonomously in the dead-endmode without any major errors.

Keywords:

Fuel Cell , Proton Exchange Membrane , Dead-end , AUV , enclosure