Previous studies have shown that the amplitude of the vibration of a piezoelectric (PZT) device produces an oscillating flow that changes the chamber volume along with a curvature variation of the diaphragm. In this study, an actuating micro-diaphragm with piezoelectric effects is utilized as an air-flow channel in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) systems, called PZT-PEMFC. This newly designed gas pump, with a piezoelectric actuation structure, can feed air into the system of an air-breathing PEMFC. When the actuator moves outward to increase the cathode channel volume, the air is sucked into the chamber; moving inward decreases the channel's volume and thereby compresses air into the catalyst layer and enhancing the chemical reaction. The air-standard PZT-PEMFC cycle is proposed to describe an air-breathing PZT-PEMFC. A novel design for PZT-PEMFCs has been proposed and a three-dimensional, transitional model has been successfully built to account for its major phenomena and performance. Moreover, at high frequencies, PZT actuation leads to a more stable current output, more drained water, higher sucked air, higher hydrogen consumption, and also overcomes concentration losses. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.