Durability Study of Membrane Electrode Assembly for Heavy-Duty Fuel Cells

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Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are a zero emission replacement for heavy duty applications due to their range, energy density and fast refueling times.[1] In 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) lunched the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT) consortium to fund fuel cell R&D to meet heavy duty truck standards.[2] Durability studies focusing on heavy-duty applications for advanced materials testing under the M2FCT consortium have been extensively explored and continue to be analyzed to standardize the evaluation of next generation fuel cell materials. This study combines in situ electrochemical characterization with ex situ analysis of single cell PEMFCs membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) to predict long-term durability for heavy-duty applications. Various accelerated stress test (AST) parameters were analyzed to determine the stressors affecting the long-term durability. Local degradation resulting from repeated high voltage to low current cycles was analyzed by testing state-of-the-art materials. High potential holds at various conditions were analyzed to determine membrane chemical degradation. Repeated wet and dry cycles were performed to test the membrane mechanical durability. In situ electrochemical analysis include mass activity, electrochemical surface area, hydrogen crossover, and polarization curves were collected and compared among the MEAs. Ex situ analysis includes quantification of membrane thinning at end of life and fluoride emission rate measurement for water effluent throughout the test was conducted to study the membrane degradation. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), US DOE through the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT) consortium, technology managers G. Kleen and D. Papageorgopoulos. References: David A. Cullen, K. C. Neyerlin, Rajesh K. Ahluwalia, Rangachary Mukundan, Karren L. More, Rodney L. Borup, Adam Z. Weber, Deborah J. Myers, and Ahmet Kusoglu, New roads and challenges for fuel cells in heavy-duty transportation. Nat. Energy, 2021. 6(5): 462-474. DOE Launches Two Consortia to Advance Fuel Cell Truck and Electrolyzer R&D. 2020; Available from: https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/doe-launches-two-consortia-advance-fuel-cell-truck-and-electrolyzer-rd.

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