%0 journal article %@ 2198-3844 %A Merckelbach, L.,Georgopanos, P. %D 2025 %J Advanced Science %N 11 %P 2410358 %R doi:10.1002/advs.202410358 %T A Fuel Cell Power Supply System Equipped with Artificial Gill Membranes for Underwater Applications %U https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202410358 11 %X This work proposes a fuel cell power supply system for underwater applications (e.g., autonomous underwater vehicles), where artificial gills, based on a polymer membrane, harvest the required oxygen from the ambient water. In this system, a circulating air-flow continuously supplies a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with oxygen, which is replenished using a polymer membrane. The membrane serves as the interface between the circulating air-flow and the ambient water, preventing water flux while allowing an oxygen flux across the membrane, driven by a partial oxygen pressure gradient. To demonstrate the feasibility of this concept, a prototype system was built based on guidelines derived from a mathematical model that was developed to describe the oxygen transfer process. A computational fluid dynamics model is developed and validated against the measurements from the prototype, resulting in a digital twin. The analysis indicates that the proposed power supply system has the potential to be superior to any battery-based solution currently available.