Mitigation of catalysts degradation upon stopping work of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells for longer time

• Method to instantly fill a PEMFC anode compartment with air upon stop is introduced.
• PEMFC stopping method effectively mitigates typically observed catalyst degradation.
• Method uses minimal standard PEMFC system equipment in a safe way.

A method for stopping work of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) fueled with a gaseous fuel such as hydrogen has been elaborated that allows to instantly fill the anodic compartment of the fuel cell with air. The method utilizes three elements of proceeding: (i) isolation of hydrogen with opening of the PEMFC's anodic compartment to the external atmosphere, (ii) stopping the flow of air through the PEMFC's cathodic compartment, and (iii) electrically loading the PEMFC with a large load. It is shown that only the combination of all these three elements is effective in reducing corrosive catalyst degradation typically occurring when the PEMFC is stopped for a longer period of time.