Fuel cell accelerated stress tests

Separate Accelerated Stress Test (AST) protocols have been proposed by the US Department of Energy to assess the durability of fuel cell under conditions that promote distinct degradation modes... 

Table 23.1. Electrocatalyst cycle and metrics [44]. (Reproduced from United States Department of Energy. DOE cell component accelerated stress test protocols for PEM fuel cells electrocatalysts, supports, membranes, and membrane electrode assemblies. 2007. With permission from DOE.)...

Zhang, S., X. Yuan, H. Wang, et al. 2009. A review of accelerated stress tests of MEA durability in PEM fuel cells. Int.. Hydrogen Energy 34 388M04. 

Based on U.S. DRIVE Fuel Cell Tech Team Cell Component Accelerated Stress Test as described in [7]... 

USCAR Fuel Cell Tech Team, Cell component accelerated stress test and polarization curve protocols for PEM fuel cells (Revised May 26, 2010), see http //wwwl.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/pdfs/component durabllity may 2010.pdf... 

DOE ceU component accelerated stress test protocols for PEM fuel cells. 2010. 

TABLE 11.2 General Accelerated Stress Test Methods in PEM Fuel Cell Lifetime Analysis ... 

Rodgers, M. R, BonviUe, L. J., Kunz, H. R., Slattery, D. K., Fenton, J. M., Fuel cell perfluorinated sulfonic acid membrane degradation correlating accelerated stress testing and lifetime. Chem. Rev. 2012,112 (11), 6075-6103. 

As a commercial product, the failure or reliability information of the fuel cell under typical operation eonditions should be included. Basically, the durability of the fuel cell is not defined by a single lifetime test. Lifetimes at variable stresses are always statistical distributions. The detailed scheme of a typical statistical accelerated lifetime model is illustrated in Figure 1.14 [45,46]. 

Accelerated testing is often used to rapidly evaluate a PEM fuel cell design and screen the various component materials. Such testing is often conducted under very stressful conditions, such as open circuit voltage (OCV), high temperature, high current density, and the like. Accelerated testing of PEM fuel cells is covered in Chapter 11. 

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