Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have attracted attention for marine vessels because of their potential to reduce pollutant emissions on the ocean. For marine PEFCs under harsh conditions such as ship vibrations and sea salt exposure, diagnosis of abnormal operation is important for improving the reliability and durability. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is suitable for real-time diagnosis in operation. In this study, EIS is used to assess the impact of sea salt (NaCl) contamination through the fast Fourier transform technique combined with a transmission line model including proton conduction in the ionomer/electrolyte membrane as well as the charge/mass transfer resistances with associated capacitances as diagnostic parameters in the cathode. Variations in those resistances from the polarization losses in accelerated degradation tests with NaCl injection are revealed together with the capacitances. Five hours’ injection led to ca. 2.5 times larger mass transfer resistance possibly due to lowered hydrophobicity of the gas diffusion layer. Distilled water humidification after detecting the NaCl contamination at an early stage mitigates irreversible catalyst degradation indicated by transmission electron microscope observations.
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