An Experimental Study on the Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with Marine Ion Contamination

Li, Shian; Zhang, Li; Chen, Gaokui; Zhang, Ruiyang; Liu, Aolong; Yang, Guogang; Shen, Qiuwan

doi:10.3390/jmse13061182

Open AccessArticle

An Experimental Study on the Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with Marine Ion Contamination

by

Shian Li

,

Li Zhang

,

Gaokui Chen

,

Ruiyang Zhang

,

Aolong Liu

,

Guogang Yang

and

Qiuwan Shen

^*

Marine Engineering College, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(6), 1182; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13061182

Submission received: 14 May 2025 / Revised: 9 June 2025 / Accepted: 16 June 2025 / Published: 17 June 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research and Development of Green Ship Energy)

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Abstract

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have the advantages of high efficiency, a low operating temperature, and a pollution-free reaction. Therefore, PEMFCs have emerged as a viable clean energy solution for ships to reduce their carbon emissions. When PEMFCs operate in marine salt spray environments, foreign ions entering the cathodes of fuel cells with air can cause a decline in cell performance. In this study, the effects of the cation type (K⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺) and concentration (0.25 M and 0.5 M) on cell performance in terms of the polarization curve were systematically investigated using a fuel cell test system. Cell performance degradation was observed due to the existence of cations. The influence of the four cations on cell performance followed the rule of Ca²⁺ > Mg²⁺ > Na⁺ > K⁺. Meanwhile, cell performance decreased with an increase in concentration. When the fuel cell was not contaminated, the voltage was 0.645 V at a current density of 1 A/cm². When the concentration was 0.5 M, the corresponding voltages were 0.594 V, 0.583 V, 0.559 V, and 0.300 V, respectively. In addition, fuel cells contaminated by NaNO₃ and NaCl were compared. Due to the existence of Cl⁻, more severe performance degradation was observed when the fuel cells were contaminated by NaCl.

Keywords: PEMFC; marine salt spray environment; cell performance; ion contamination

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MDPI and ACS Style

Li, S.; Zhang, L.; Chen, G.; Zhang, R.; Liu, A.; Yang, G.; Shen, Q. An Experimental Study on the Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with Marine Ion Contamination. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13, 1182. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13061182

AMA Style

Li S, Zhang L, Chen G, Zhang R, Liu A, Yang G, Shen Q. An Experimental Study on the Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with Marine Ion Contamination. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 2025; 13(6):1182. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13061182

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Shian, Li Zhang, Gaokui Chen, Ruiyang Zhang, Aolong Liu, Guogang Yang, and Qiuwan Shen. 2025. "An Experimental Study on the Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with Marine Ion Contamination" Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 13, no. 6: 1182. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13061182

APA Style

Li, S., Zhang, L., Chen, G., Zhang, R., Liu, A., Yang, G., & Shen, Q. (2025). An Experimental Study on the Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with Marine Ion Contamination. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 13(6), 1182. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13061182

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An Experimental Study on the Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with Marine Ion Contamination

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