High temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFC) based on phosphoric acid
doped polybenzimidazole (H3PO4/PBI) membrane is a relatively new and fast growing research
field. Compared with the conventional low-temperature PEMFC, the HT-PEMFC has much higher
tolerance to impurities such as CO in the hydrogen fuel and much simplified thermal and water
management because of its elevated operation temperature, typically in the range from 150°C
to 200°C. At this moment, however, no commercial HT-PEMFCs have been developed to meet
the reliability and cost requirement. The young investigator group is exploring this field
to understand the performance limiting mechanisms and try to find effective solutions.