The durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) has been posing a key technical challenge to commercial spread of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). To improve the durability, it is necessary to optimize the fuel cell system (FCS) design against failure modes. The fuel cell durability research method at FCS scale was exhibited, and the failure modes of fuel cell were experimentally investigated in this paper. It is found that the fuel cell dry operation, start/stop cycle and gas diffusion layer (GDL) flooding are typical failure modes of fuel cells. After the modifications against the failure modes, the durability of FCSs is improved to over 3000 h step by step.
Characterization of low cell with CV, TEM, XRD and SEM with partition investigation method
Measuring contact angle of GDL
-
Tab.2
Fig.4
Fig.5
Samples
Performance
CV/(m2·g−1)
TEM /nm
XRD /nm
Aging MEA
0.144V @ 200mA/cm2
Anode 12.2 Cathode 6.3
Anode 4.9 Cathode 5.4
Anode 11.5 Cathode 10.8
Fresh MEA
0.680V @ 500mA/cm2
Anode 21.3 Cathode 19.4
Anode 4.5 Cathode 6.1
Anode 10.8 Cathode 10.8
Tab.3
Fig.6
Fig.7
Fig.8
Fresh MEA
1#
2#
3#
CV/(m2·g-1)
Anode
16
18
13
14
Cathode
38
28
16
13
TEM/nm
Anode
-
5.5
6.0
6.6
Cathode
-
6.5
7.6
7.8
Tab.4
Fig.9
Fig.10
Fig.11
Fig.12
1
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2013FCS
2014FCS
