A simple and accurate method for high-temperature PEM fuel cell characterization

Andrei Kulikovsky (1) , Christoph Wannek (1) , Hans-Friedrich Oetjen (1)

1 IEF-3

A set of basic parameters for any polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) includes the Tafel slope $b$ and the exchange current density $j_*$ of the cathode catalyst, the oxygen diffusion coefficient $D_b$ in the cathode gas--diffusion layer and the cell resistivity $R_{cell}$. Based on the analytical model of a PEMFC (A.A.Kulikovsky. {\em Electrochimica Acta} {\bf 49} (2004) 617), we propose a two--step procedure allowing to evaluate these parameters for a high--temperature PEMFC. The procedure requires two polarization curves measured at different oxygen (air) stoichiometries. The method is validated using the experimental data obtained with the in--house designed cell. High quality of fitting confirms validity and accuracy of this approach. The physical background of the method is discussed.

Mots clés: Physical Sciences

Andrei Kulikovsky, Christoph Wannek, Hans-Friedrich Oetjen. A simple and accurate method for high-temperature PEM fuel cell characterization. Fuel Cells, 2010, 10 (3), pp.363. ⟨10.1002/fuce.200900135⟩. ⟨hal-00552361⟩