Characterization of PEM Fuel Cells

Increasing the long-term stability of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells in general and under dynamic operation, in particular, is crucial for its commercialization. This stability is not only affected by operation parameters, but also the components and their design. In this talk, we discuss our ongoing activities at Fraunhofer ISE to fully understand the cell’s behavior and stability through experimental and numerical methods. To do so, the catalyst layers are produced in house and characterized through a fully automated and standardized protocol. Hence, we look at the effect of catalyst layer design on the overall life of the cell. In this talk, we will discuss the ageing of catalyst layers in relation to their design using both in-situ and ex-situ experimental analysis as well as numerical modeling.