Fuel cell test procedure

P. Lunghi and S. Ubertini, First Steps Towards Fuel Cells Testing Harmonization Procedures and Parameters for Single Cell Performance Evaluation, Vol. 3, Suppl. 4,... 

For application of ORR electrocatalyst in PEM fuel cells, the catalyst must be used to prepare the CL, which is then bonded into the MEA for fuel cell testing. The composition, structure, and preparation procedure all have strong effects on the fuel cell performance. For example, even an ORR catalyst has high ORR activity, if the CL and its MEA preparation are not optimized, it is not necessary that fuel cell would have a high performance. Therefore, the optimum preparation of CL and its MEA are very important in fiilly realizing the catalyst activity. 

The phosphoric acid-doped neat-PBI and PBI/PTFE PEMs were used to prepare MEAs, and high-temperature fuel cell tests were conducted using the prepared MEAs. Most of the GDEs were fabricated by coating a Pt-C/ PBI/DMAc ([PBI]/[PBI -I- Pt-C] = -5-10 wt %) catalyst solution on a carbon paper and drying it at 120-150 °C under vacuum to evaporate DMAc. The GDE was then doped with 85 wt% phosphoric acid. The phosphoric acid-doped PEM was sandwiched in between the two phosphoric acid-doped GDEs and then pressed to obtain the MEA. The detailed procedures of GDE fabrication and MEA preparation can be obtained in literature [49, 53-60]. 

For a better comparison, post-mortem p-CT analysis of both MEAs, in situ (characteiizatiOTi in the fuel cell test station) and ex situ (imitation of contact pressure cycling procedure under ambient conditions), have been performed. The results are presented in Fig. 17.22. 

PTC 50 ASME Performance Test Code - Will provide test procedures, methods and definitions for the performance characterization of fuel cell power systems. 

ASME PTC 50 ASME Performance Test Code 50 - Fuel Cell Power Systems provides test procedures, methods and definitions for the performance characterization of fuel cell power systems. The code specifies the methods and procedures for conducting and reporting fuel cell system ratings. Specific methods of testing, instrumentation, techniques, calculations and reporting are presented. This standard is currently being drafted and is expected to be approved and published in 2002. 

SAE has established a Fuel Cells Standard Forum that is chartered with the establishment of standards and test procedures for fuel cell powered vehicles. The committee was established in 1999. The standards will cover the safety, performance, reliability and recyclability of fuel cell systems in vehicles with emphasis on efficiency and environmental impact. The standards will also establish test procedures for uniformity in test results for the vehicle/systems/components performance, and define interface requirements of the systems to the vehicle. Task Groups have been formed in the areas of safety, performance, reliability, emissions, recyclability, interface and miscellaneous. 

Different conditions under test procedures and practical operation require different calculation procedures for the evaluation of the test results. In this subsection, three cases at different distributions of the Nemst voltage are considered with regard to the solution of the integral cell area and integral fuel utilisation, respectively. 

To establish standards and test procedures for fuel cell powered vehicles. The standards will cover safety, performance, reliability and recyclability of fuel cell systems in vehicles with emphasis on efficiency and envirorrmental impact. The standards will also establish test procedures for uniformity in test results for the... 

The catalyst preparation procedure starting with the adsorption of a metal hydroxide followed by its reduction in a stream of H2 at 600 C and a further activation step in acetonitrile at 1,000°C was expanded to all transition metals of the first row. Catalysts for O2 reduction were obtained only with Cr, Fe, and Co. Cr203/C, Fe/C, and Co/C were detected after the reduction step in H2, while Co, Fe3C, and a chromium carbide-nitride (Cr6.2 C3 5 N0.3/C) were detected in the catalyst. The nominal loading of all metals was 10 wt%. Catalytic activity decreased as Cr > Fe > Co. Tests in fuel cells indicated that the Cr-based catalyst was not stable, while Fe and Co-based catalysts were stable (see Section 4 for details). 

Whatever preparation procedure is used to produce these non-noble metal catalysts, any excess metal ions, which cannot be coordinated to the carbon support, will aggregate and form metal and/or metal carbide particles that will eventually be surrounded with a carbonaceous envelope during the heat treatment at high temperature. These surrounded particles have no catalytic activity for ORR and do not seem to contaminate with metal ions the membrane and the ionomer in the catalyst layer during fuel cell stability tests. 

Recently, standard procedures have been set up within the Fuel Cell Systems Testing, Safety and Quality Assurance (FCTES ) project, which is a specific targeted research project co-financed by the European Commission within the Sixth Framework Program. 

J2615 - Draft - Performance Test Procedure of Fuel Cell Systems for Automotive Applications. J2616 - Draft - Performance Test Procedure for the Fuel Processor Subsystem of Automotive Fuel Cell System. 

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