PEMFC Stack Diagnosis Based on External Magnetic Field Measurements

Mathieu Le Ny (1) , Olivier Chadebec (1) , Gilles Cauffet (1) , S. Rosini , Yann Bultel (2)

1 G2ELab - Laboratoire de Génie Electrique de Grenoble
2 LEPMI - Laboratoire d'Electrochimie et de Physico-chimie des Matériaux et des Interfaces

A new diagnosis method based on the measurement of the magnetic field surrounding a PEMFC stack was developed. The method relies on the measurements of the magnetic field signature generated by the current distribution in the PEMFC. It is possible to estimate an averaged 2D current density identification by solving an inverse problem, based on the relationship between the currents and a magnetic field. In this work, 30 sensors fixed around the stack are used to perform the cartography within a second. This technique was implemented on a PEMFC stack consisting of 30 cells with a large active area of 220 cm 2 and was capable to capture the current density change from a healthy state to a faulty one. Our approach is robust and allows us to distinguish between either membrane drying or electrode flooding by varying the air stoichiometry.

Mots clés: Fuel cell; Magnetostatics; Diagnosis; Current density identification

Domaines: Energie électrique

Mathieu Le Ny, Olivier Chadebec, Gilles Cauffet, S. Rosini, Yann Bultel. PEMFC Stack Diagnosis Based on External Magnetic Field Measurements. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, 2015, 45 (7), ⟨10.1007/s10800-015-0844-x⟩. ⟨hal-01177814⟩