Fabrication of Micro PEM Fuel Cells Using Pyrolysis and Experimental Testing

In this paper, we propose a relatively new fabrication technique for micro proton exchange membrane fuel cell (μPEMFC) fabrication. Microgrooves are fabricated on the polymer Circlex plate first which is relatively easy to manufacture comparing with directly patterning on carbon, cheap, and mechanically robust (in contrast to graphite). By carbonizing the machined polymer at high temperature, the bipolar plates are produced for a μPEMFC assembly to distribute the reactants via its micro groove structure. A μPEMFC with 0.64 cm² active surface is fabricated. A maximum power of ∼70 mW/cm² is achieved for 1 atm at 25 °C, which is comparable with most of data reported in the literature. The Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and performance test are conducted on fuel cell steady-state operation.