Stress Test Development for Fuel Cells

January 15, 2018

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells have the potential to cleanly power cars and provide stationary power, but cost and durability are major barriers to commercialization. To rapidly evaluate materials that can help overcome these issues, accelerated stress tests must be developed.

A recent paper co-authored by researchers at the Energy Conversion Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory details the development of a new combined chemical/mechanical accelerated stress test and protocols that can achieve results in hundreds of hours, rather than thousands. The study, published in the Journal of The Electrochemical Society, recommends optimal protocols for test based on relative humidity cycling (RHC) between dry and saturated gases at open circuit voltage (OCV). 

These new protocols will allow for more rapid screening of materials compared to drive cycle testing. More effective testing, in turn, will enable the development of materials to address durability barriers that currently hinder widespread adoption of PEM fuel cells.