Heat and mass transfer in PEM-based electrolytic air dehumidification element with an optimized anode-side electrochemical model

•A model with optimized anode-side prediction was developed for PEM-based dehumidification.•Optimal anode-side exchange current density and heat/mass transfer coefficient were derived by the multi-parameter fitting.•The model showed a close trend to experiments, especially in the current prediction.•At higher airflow rates or larger electrical fields, the prediction deviation could be reduced by more than 50%.•The electrical field has the largest influence on anode-side electrochemical process.