The traditional fuel cell power system requires external ventilation and humidification systems for both the anode and cathode, which not only increases the application cost but also restrict its widespread use. In order to further enhance the applicability and reduce the operating costs of fuel cell power systems, this paper investigates the open-cathode proton exchange membrane fuel cell power system. This approach not only lowers the cost but also reduces the weight of the power system, enabling its potential application in a wider range of vehicles. In this study, two versions of the open-cathode fuel cell stacks were developed and performance and stability tests were conducted under various operating conditions. Additionally, tests were carried out with different materials of carbon paper to find a balance between performance and stability. Through the research presented in this paper, the application scope of fuel cells has been expanded, providing valuable insights for their further development.

This study enhances PEMFC performance at low temperature and low humidity by incorporating hydrophilic inorganic silica materials inside the PEMFC. Firstly, the polarization performance of the cell under varying humidity levels was investigated using a controlled variable method. Secondly, the power stability of the PEMFC was examined by observing voltage stability under constant current. Finally, the cell’s transient response at startup was studied. Experimental results indicate that the addition of silica partially mitigates the significant performance decline of the cell under a high humidity range (100% RH–50% RH). However, the effect is relatively average in a low humidity range (50% RH–20% RH).

In the context of global warming, clean energy represented by fuel cells has ushered in a window period of rapid development; however, most research mainly focuses on the improvement of catalysts and performance, and there is very little research on the performance differences and energy consumption between different oxidants. In this paper, the performance differences of fuel cells with different oxidants (air and oxygen) are studied using a self-made CCM, and the economic aspect is calculated from the perspective of power improvement and energy consumption. Firstly, the CCM and GDL are prepared, and the hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of GDL are realized by the addition of PTFE and SiO₂, respectively. Secondly, through the experiment, it is found that the fuel cell can achieve the best comprehensive performance at 60 °C, and the use of oxygen can achieve the highest power increase, 117.1%, compared with air. Finally, from the perspective of economics, after excluding the power consumed for preparing oxygen, the use of oxygen as an oxidant still achieved a net power increase of 29.512%. The research in this paper clearly shows that using oxygen instead of air can greatly improve performance and is good economically, which makes it a useful exploration for the research of fuel cells.

Fuel cells, as one of the most promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries for portable power systems, still face significant challenges. A critical issue is their substantial performance degradation under low-humidity conditions. To address this, researchers commonly add silica to components. This study employs a control variable method to systematically investigate the impact of four parameters—gas stoichiometry, temperature, humidity, and silica content—on fuel cell performance. Initially, the effects of gas stoichiometry, temperature, and humidity on performance were examined. Subsequently, hydrophilic silica was incorporated into the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) to assess its potential for improving performance in low-humidity environments. Experimental results reveal that under 100% humidification, silica addition had a minimal impact on performance, particularly at high temperatures where performance improved by only 2.5%. This is attributed to increased water production at elevated temperatures, which—when combined with silica’s water retention properties—exacerbates flooding. However, when humidity was reduced to 50%, silica incorporation significantly enhanced performance. At high temperatures, silica addition resulted in a 126.2% performance improvement, demonstrating its efficacy as a rational strategy under low-humidity conditions.