Performance Analysis Based on Energetic and Exergetic Ecological Index of a High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

The recent escalation in exergetic ecological evaluations in high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) stems from their ability to quantify emissions and ecological impacts. This study thus employs an isothermal, zero-dimensional model to investigate the exergy, energy, and exergetic ecological implications for an HT-PEMFC. Firstly, mathematical modeling for the exergetic ecological index and ecological function for the HT-PEMFC was derived. Among them, exergetic ecological index has yet to be applied to the research of this field before. The proposed HT-PEMFC model’s accuracy is subsequently validated by utilizing two statistics methods, affirming its precision. Lastly, the study utilizes the exergetic ecological index's optimization criteria to explore ideal operational regions. Results illustrate that this index efficiently analyzes and optimizes the ecological impact of the HT-PEMFC.