Assessing Open Circuit Voltage Losses in PEMFCs: A New Methodological Approach

Francesco Mazzeo (), Luca Di Napoli and Massimiliana Carello ()
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Francesco Mazzeo: Innovative Electric and Hybrid Vehicles (IEHV) Research Group, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS), Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, Italy
Luca Di Napoli: Innovative Electric and Hybrid Vehicles (IEHV) Research Group, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS), Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, Italy
Massimiliana Carello: Innovative Electric and Hybrid Vehicles (IEHV) Research Group, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS), Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, Italy

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-21

Abstract: Proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are increasingly used in the automotive sector. A crucial point for estimating the performance of such systems is open-circuit voltage (OCV) losses, among which the most influential are mixed potential, hydrogen crossover, and internal short circuits. These losses are often overlooked in the modeling of such electrochemical cells, leading to an inaccurate estimation of the real voltage that is calculated starting from the Nernst Equation. An innovative method is presented to estimate the losses based on the division of the membrane into two domains: solid and aqueous. The influence of the macro-parameters (temperature, pressure, and RH) was analyzed for each phenomenon and was linked to the membrane water content. For low levels of PEM hydration, internal short circuits were of the same order of magnitude as hydrogen crossover. The OCV model accuracy was assessed on a commercial stack, used on a vehicle prototype competing in the Shell Eco-Marathon challenge. The data of interest were obtained through laboratory tests and subsequent disassembly of the stack. A PEM thickness of 127 μm was measured corresponding to Nafion 115. For further validation, the model results were compared with data in the literature.

Keywords: proton exchange membrane fuel cell; OCV losses; mixed potential; hydrogen crossover; internal short circuit (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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