Compressing　metal　foam　flow　field　usually　causes　a　higher　pressure　drop　and　uncontrollable　pore　structure　while　enhancing　the　water　discharge　capability　of　proton　exchange　membrane　fuel　cell　(PEMFC).　To　further　enhance　the　water　discharge　capability　of　metal　foam　flow　field　at　a　low　cost　of　pressure　drop,　a　novel　metal　foam　flow　field　exhibiting　hierarchical　pore　structure(dcoarse/dfine=2;　Vcoarse/Vfine=1;　dfine=0.5　mm)　is　first　introduced.　This　work　numerically　investigates　water　management　characteristics　and　output　performance　of　novel　metal　foam　flow　field.　Subsequently,　3D　printing　technology　is　employed　to　precisely　manufacture　metal　foam　flow　fields,　which　are　compared　with　several　flow　fields　in　the　cathode　side　experimentally.　Experimental　results　demonstrate　that　at　1.5　A/cm2　during　3　h,　the　amount　of　water　discharge　in　metal　foam　flow　field　with　hierarchical　pore　structure　is　close　to　parallel　flow　field,　which　is　1.12　times　and　1.30　times　that　in　metal　foam　flow　field　with　uniform　coarse　pore　and　uniform　fine　pore,　respectively.　Moreover,　compared　with　the　previous　optimized　strategy,　namely　metal　foam　flow　field　with　75　PPI　and　a　compression　rate　of　0.75,　metal　foam　flow　field　with　hierarchical　pore　structure　can　not　only　improve　the　maximum　net　power　density　by　9.5　%　and　water　discharge　amount　by　14.1　%,　but　also　decrease　two-thirds　of　the　pressure　drop　in　the　cathode　side.　This　research　lays　the　theoretical　groundwork　and　offers　technical　insight　for　the　implementation　of　metal　foam　flow　fields　in　PEMFCs.　©　2024　Elsevier　B.V.