Investigation of Feature Effectiveness in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Fault Diagnosis

Pan, Weitao; Abuker, Yousif Yahia Ahmed; Mao, Lei

doi:10.1109/phm-qingdao46334.2019.8942975

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Thus, many research groups have focused on developing and estimating each of the MEA components to enhance the performance and durability of PEMFCs. However, because a PEMFC system is a combination of multiple principles based on electrochemical, mechanical, and material engineering, it is necessary to estimate the performance and durability of the MEA systemically. − In particular, the problematic degradation of the MEA, which is caused by a convoluted mechanism during PEMFC operation, is a major obstacle to its commercialization with current technology − because it continuously decreases the energy efficiency and power density of the PEMFC. Indeed, the present PEMFC technology is still insufficient to meet the 80,000 h durability target of stationary systems as suggested by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), and the reason for this lack of lifespan is mainly due to the severe degradation (failure) causes related to the operation conditions of PEMFCs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This information will allow the operating condition to be corrected before it can cause a large loss and complete failure of the PEMFC. Hence, fault identification based on an experimental measurement method is an essential diagnostic tool . Among the undesirable operating conditions, the oversaturated cathode humidity (flooding) is one of the most crucial issues that induce cell degradation, thereby significantly decreasing the durability of the PEMFC.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Oversaturated Cathode Humidity Conditions on the Performance Degradation of PEMFCs and Diagnostic Signals of Warburg Impedance under Low Humidity Conditions

Kwon

Eom

2021

J. Phys. Chem. C

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A proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) inevitably experiences performance degradation during long-term operation under various corrosive conditions. In particular, cell operation under cathode flooding conditions results in severe cell degradation through sequential processes that induce the degradation of each component in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Furthermore, an excessive amount of water remaining at the cathode can diffuse into the anode side (back diffusion of water), and repeated instances can cause anode flooding (leading to fuel starvation). Herein, we focus on the collateral anode degradation of a stationary PEMFC operating under cathode flooding conditions with an oversaturated cathode in terms of relative humidity (RH, 150% RH). We suggest low-humidity electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS-RH30) as a fault identification method to detect the degradation of the MEA, including the anode, before severe cell deterioration. Specifically, the EIS-RH30 analysis enables the detection of the malfunctioning anode reaction by limiting the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and proton conductivity, through which the phase difference between transporting protons from the anode to the cathode can be reflected as the horizontal aspect of the Warburg impedance. A generalized finite-length Warburg is introduced to understand the variation in the Warburg impedance spectra, and its numerical analysis can act as a diagnosable signal to monitor the sequential degradation of an MEA. A feasibility study of EIS-RH30 on actual degradation behavior that occurs under cathode flooding conditions was performed along with a microstructural investigation inside the MEA.

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