Fuel Cell for Portal and Stationary Applications

A special issue of Batteries (ISSN 2313-0105). This special issue belongs to the section "Hybrid Energy Storage and Integrated Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 695

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Beijing Key Laboratory of Powertrain for New Energy Vehicle, School of Mechanical, Electronic and Control Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Interests: new energy power systems; fuel cell systems; battery management

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical, Electronics and Control Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Interests: fuel cell applications; prognostics and health management; machine learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fuel cell technology has emerged as a pivotal solution for sustainable energy conversion, offering high efficiency and zero-emission operation across diverse applications. The growing demand for clean energy alternatives has accelerated the development of fuel cells for both portable and stationary power generation systems. Portable fuel cells are increasingly recognized for their potential in mobile devices, backup power systems, and remote area applications where traditional power sources are impractical or unavailable. Meanwhile, stationary fuel cell systems are gaining prominence in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors as reliable sources of distributed power generation, combined heat and power (CHP) systems, and grid stabilization solutions. Recent advances in materials science, system integration, and cost reduction strategies have significantly enhanced the commercial viability of fuel cell technologies, making them competitive alternatives to conventional power generation methods.

This Special Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge research and technological innovations in fuel cell systems designed for both portable and stationary applications. We seek to present comprehensive studies covering fundamental research, materials development, system design optimization, performance enhancement strategies, and real-world implementation challenges. By bringing together diverse perspectives from academia and industry, this Special Issue intends to accelerate the commercialization of fuel cell technologies and provide valuable insights for researchers, engineers, and policymakers working toward a sustainable energy future.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Advanced fuel cell materials and components.
  2. Portable fuel cell systems.
  3. Stationary fuel cell power generation.
  4. Fuel cell system design and optimization.
  5. Fuel cell performance and durability.
  6. Fuel cell manufacturing and cost analysis.
  7. Fuel cell hybrid systems.
  8. Fuel cell environmental impact and sustainability.
  9. Smart fuel cell systems and digital technologies.
  10. Fuel cell market and economic analysis.

Prof. Dr. Xin Zhang
Dr. Meiling Yue
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Batteries is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fuel cells
  • portable systems
  • stationary power
  • advanced materials
  • system optimization
  • performance
  • durability
  • manufacturing
  • cost analysis
  • hybrid systems
  • sustainability
  • smart systems
  • digital technologies
  • clean energy
  • energy conversion

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

23 pages, 14312 KB  
Article
Gradient Flow Field Designing to Enhance Mass and Heat Transfer for Air-Cooled Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Using the Modeling Frame
by Xuemei Li, Beibei Chen, Fei Wang, Zhijun Deng, Yajun Wang and Chen Zhao
Batteries 2026, 12(3), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries12030105 - 19 Mar 2026
Viewed by 487
Abstract
Structural optimization of the cathode flow field is a viable approach to homogenize multi-physical field distributions and boost the output of air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). This work develops a three-dimensional non-isothermal model to systematically evaluate the performance of graded flow [...] Read more.
Structural optimization of the cathode flow field is a viable approach to homogenize multi-physical field distributions and boost the output of air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). This work develops a three-dimensional non-isothermal model to systematically evaluate the performance of graded flow channel designs. The results indicate that the graded structure promotes fluid transport in the central zone, thereby improving oxygen distribution uniformity at the gas diffusion layer/catalyst layer (GDL/CL) interface. Compared to the traditional parallel flow channel (with an average oxygen mass fraction of 0.051% and a uniformity index of 0.779), this configuration yields a 6.4% increase in the average oxygen mass fraction and a 0.96% enhancement in distribution uniformity. However, increased gradient flow reduces the flow velocity within the channels and raises the operating temperature, posing challenges for water and thermal management. The curved channel design, featuring longer channels at the ends and shorter channels in the center, compensates for the uneven air supply caused by the fan, thus balancing the flow distribution. Among the tested configurations, the 10° curved structure exhibits optimal performance, achieving the best compromise between gas distribution and liquid water removal. It effectively promotes oxygen diffusion and uniform water distribution, significantly alleviating mass transfer polarization and yielding a more uniform interface temperature distribution due to evaporative cooling. Both excessively small and large curvature angles lead to performance degradation, primarily due to inadequate water removal and flow separation, accompanied by excessive pressure drop, respectively. In contrast, the 10° curved channel strikes an optimal balance, offering significant advantages in overall cell performance and water–thermal management, which provides critical guidance for optimizing PEMFC flow field designs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fuel Cell for Portal and Stationary Applications)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop