Engineering advanced thermal and water pathways to enhance PEMFC reliability in maritime applications

Alrwashdeh, Saad S.

doi:10.30772/qjes.2025.165747.1765

	Engineering advanced thermal and water pathways to enhance PEMFC reliability in maritime applications
Al-Qadisiyah Journal for Engineering Sciences
Article 12, Volume 19, Issue 2, June 2026, Pages 246-256 PDF (8 M)
Document Type: Research Paper
DOI: 10.30772/qjes.2025.165747.1765
Author
Saad S. Alrwashdeh^*
Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Mutah University, P.O Box 7, Al-Karak 61710, Jordan.
Abstract
This work creates a simulation-based scheme to optimize Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) in the maritime sector, focusing on the interim functions of thermal, water, and hydrogen pathways in defining efficiency and sustainability. Findings indicate that although peak efficiencies are close to 0.90, dependable operation is limited to 0.84 -0.87, better than the hydration limit of 0.82 and worse than the thermal instability threshold of 0.88. The best hydrogen usage is between 70 -82 because lower percentages were tiger and higher percentages were almost 2 times higher rates of degradation when 0.006 V/1000h (harbour) and 0.012 V/1000h (sprint) were used in respectively. Mode comparison proves cruise operation at 91% net efficiency, 13% auxiliary demand, and 27% performance 27 % Excellent, 36% Good, 3% Fail, and sprinting is 86% efficiency and 16% auxiliaries with 27% Fail/Poor results. This study outsmarts the other studies by being the first to establish quantitative safe operation envelopes of maritime PEMFCs and provide a workable blueprint of sustainable deployment by integrating radar, multi-panel, and 3D threshold-based analysis.
Keywords
PEMFC reliability; Thermal regulation; Water management; Maritime applications

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