Investigation of Multiple Degradation Mechanisms of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell under Dynamic Operation

In this paper, a new voltage aging model for the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), which includes multiple degradation mechanisms for proton exchange membrane fuel cells, is proposed. The model parameters are identified using a curve-fitting procedure based on long-term experimental data for the modular stack under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). A good fit was found between the model and experimental data, with R-squared values greater than 0.99 for all simulation cases. Moreover, according to the model sensitivity analysis, the voltage degradation model is most sensitive to load current, followed by time. The effect of operating temperature on performance, voltage degradation, and lifetime is investigated. After 300 h, significant performance loss was detected. When the temperature is raised to 75 °C, voltage degradation becomes worse. Based on the simulated voltage degradation profiles at 55 °C and 75 °C, PEMFCs have reached the end of their useful lives at 1100 h and 600 h, respectively. The simulation model indicates that the model is capable of forecasting how long the fuel cell will last under specified operational conditions and drive cycles.