Accelerated conditioning for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell

A conditioning process is usually needed for a newly fabricated proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell to be activated. Depending on the membrane electrode assemblies, this process can take hours and even days to complete. To provide for accelerated conditioning techniques that can complete the process in a short time, this paper compares various reported methods to condition a PEM single cell. The major objectives are to identify accelerated conditioning approaches that can significantly reduce the conditioning duration for the existing conditioning regime in an operationally easy manner, and to understand the fundamental principles that govern accelerated conditioning. Various effects investigated include temperature, cycling steps, and cycling frequencies. Other techniques, such as short circuiting, hydrogen pumping, and hot water circulation, are also discussed. For each technique, measurements are taken using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV).

► This paper compares various reported methods for conditioning a PEM single cell.
► High temperature encourages high cell performance.
► OCV relaxation and more cycling steps do not accelerate the conditioning process.
► High cycling frequency may reduce activation time, but causes earlier degradation.
► Short circuit can be used to effectively condition the cell in a short time.