Preface

Few technologies sit as squarely at the intersection of science, engineering, and global necessity as the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Once a laboratory curiosity, the PEM fuel cell now powers trucks and buses, backs up hospitals and data centers, and anchors national hydrogen strategies worldwide.

This book takes the reader from first principles to the frontier without skipping the steps in between. Every equation is developed from physical reasoning, and every physical claim is backed by the quantitative framework needed to use it. The opening chapters establish why PEM fuel cells matter; the core chapters build the essential science - electrochemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, and polarization behavior; later chapters cover the membrane, catalyst layers, bipolar plates, stack architecture, balance of plant, diagnostics, modeling, and durability; and the closing chapters look ahead to the technologies defining the coming decade.

Written for advanced students, practicing engineers entering the hydrogen sector, and researchers seeking a self-contained reference, this 2026 edition - complete with a reference appendix, glossary, and subject index - arrives as cost curves bend toward reality. Technologies evolve; the electrochemistry beneath them endures.

Perumal Pugazhendhi, Ph.D. - 2026