In the present study, fuel cell models are described in the light of the open literature. Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) components and its functions are introduced and explained briefly. The state of the art of fuel cell modeling is presented. Comparisons of both modeling and experimental studies are also presented in tables. Governing equations and assumptions are briefly reviewed and presented for PEMFCs. (c) 2005 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.