Abstract

The Caldwell TPMS‑FC Test Platform v1.0 is an open-hardware, single-cell proton-exchange-membrane fuel-cell research platform designed to determine whether triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) flow fields, graded thermal-management structures, vortex-conditioned air inlets, and distributed sensing improve measurable fuel-cell performance.

The platform does not claim a new fuel-cell chemistry, a new membrane, or a guaranteed efficiency breakthrough. It provides a controlled method for comparing an experimental TPMS flow field against a conventional serpentine flow field under matched hydrogen flow, air flow, temperature, humidity, pressure, and electrical-load conditions.

The prototype uses commercially available membrane-electrode assemblies, gas-diffusion layers, hydrogen and air supplies, a coolant loop, electronic load, and calibrated sensors. Its purpose is to measure pressure drop, temperature uniformity, open-circuit voltage, polarization behavior, water-management behavior, TEG recovery, auxiliary power consumption, and net electrical output.

TPMS-based fuel-cell flow fields are an active research area. Published numerical work reports that certain TPMS architectures can reduce pressure drop and improve oxygen distribution, with one G-ligament design producing about 5% higher current density than a referenced 3D fine-mesh flow field at 0.4 V, while another TPMS variant increased peak power density by 18% over a conventional parallel flow field. These are geometry-specific simulation results, not universal guarantees.sciencedirect+1

This disclosure therefore defines a buildable experiment, not a performance promise. (another version from a different source related to this field to be tested)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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