2005 Annual Meeting

(322c) Models for Predicting Mea Water Content during Fuel Cell Operation and after Shutdown

Authors

Radu Bradean - Presenter, Ballard Power Systems
Herwig Haas - Presenter, Ballard Power Systems
Reza Rahmani - Presenter, Ballard Power Systems
Andrew Desousa - Presenter, Ballard Power Systems
Kelvin Fong - Presenter, Ballard Power Systems
Kjell Eggen - Presenter, Ballard Power Systems
Dana Ayotte - Presenter, Ballard Power Systems
Adey Roett - Presenter, Ballard Power Systems
Angela Huang - Presenter, Ballard Power Systems


Effective fuel cell operation requires the optimization of the water content of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) such that to meet targets for performance, freeze start, durability and reliability. In this work we present models for predicting the MEA water content that are used to provide input into the design of operating strategies of fuel cell stacks. The measurements of MEA water content during fuel cell operation, stack purging after shutdown, or natural cooling after shutdown are in good agreement with the model results.