Application progress of small-scale proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)are promising power sources owing to their high-power/energy densities and low pollution emissions.With the increasing demand for electricity for various low-power devices,small-scale storage of electricity encountered bottle-neck,which provides new opportunities for PEMFC.Owing to the high specific energy of PEMFCs,the utilization of this technology for small-scale applications has recently attracted significant attention.In recent years,considerable effort has been made to advance PEMFC technology and applications,especially in the small-scale PEMFC commercial market.The current review provides a holistic overview of the cutting-edge developments of small-scale PEMFCs in the transportation,stationary,and portable power generator fields.In particular,we examine current literature on the development of small-scale PEMFCs and discuss the operating complexity of PEMFC systems for different applications.Finally,we provide a forwardlooking perspective on the strategies for small-scale high-specific-power PEMFC systems.