A review of plateau environmental adaptation for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

The plateau environmental adaptability of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a key technical challenge for the development of fuel cells (FCs). This paper reviews the current research on the adaptability of FCs in plateau environments, focusing on the application requirements of automotive FCs in high-cold and high-altitude areas. First, the paper investigates how low temperature and low pressure affect the internal structure and output performance of FCs in plateau environments. Second, it analyzes the recent advances in FC technology to cope with plateau environments and evaluates the technical advantages and disadvantages of various approaches based on essential indicators such as FC output performance, efficiency, and response time. Finally, it identifies future research directions in FC plateau environmental adaptability technology, aiming to provide a reference for using FCs in plateau environments.