One of the most demanding research topics related to the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell concerns its reliability. Apart from the security aspects, it is basic to have a diagnosis of the internal state of the fuel cell in order to correct and optimise its operation. The fuel cell state and response depends on the imposed operating conditions, which are mainly given by temperatures, pressures, reactants humidity, reactants concentrations and current. This work presents the combination of the experimental characterisation technique named Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and the reactant gases humidification interruption to study the behaviour of the fuel cell system. The realization of spectroscopy tests when the humidification interruption is applied, allows obtaining certain relevant characteristics, which can be used as fuel cell state diagnostic indexes.

Peer Reviewed