Lizard-inspired flow field plates improve hydrogen fuel cell power density

Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a lizard-scale-inspired design for flow field plates in proton exchange membrane (PEM) hydrogen fuel cells, significantly improving water management and power density. Traditional fuel cells suffer from water flooding in the gas diffusion layers (GDLs), which blocks oxygen delivery to reaction sites and reduces performance. By mimicking natural structures such as desert lizard scales and leaf veins—both of which channel water directionally with minimal energy—the team carved auxiliary drainage channels into the flow field plates. This biomimetic approach enables more efficient water removal while maintaining oxygen flow, addressing a critical bottleneck in fuel cell operation. The study, published in Applied Energy and led by Eric Chadwick, demonstrated a 29.1% increase in peak power density, achieving 639 milliwatts/cm² compared to 495 milliwatts/cm² in conventional designs. The innovation departs from the traditional corrugated land-channel structure, where water accumulates under solid lands and obstructs oxygen