Experimental investigation of dynamic performance of PEM fuel cell using a segmented single-cell

Dynamic testing of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells is gaining momentum due to the development of stacks for automotive applications and the requirement for reducing the size of the battery packs in automobiles. Dynamic testing is also very important step in the development of robust control strategies. Start/stop procedures and ramp-ups and downs are especially significant for the performance of the cell due to the occurrence of undesirable phenomena resulting in exacerbated cell degradation. Five-segment PEM fuel cell, singlecell, is used for experimental investigation of dynamic performance of the cell. The cell is subjected to dynamic current and potential ramps and subjected to New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) test protocol. The performance is investigated using dry/partially humidified and fully humidified reactants in counter-flow configuration. The results of the analyses indicate that the operation with dry and partially humidified reactants is primarily influenced by the duration of the holds and consequently results in different polarization curves and occurrence of pronounced hysteresis during forward and backward polarization curve recording.