Aging Effects Observed in Automotive Fuel Cell Stacks by Applying a New Realistic Test Protocol and Humidity Control

Traditional automotive proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) endurance testing relies on the fuel cell (FC) dynamic load cycle (FC-DLC) protocol, which inadequately reflects real-world driving conditions. To address this limitation the “Investigations on degradation mechanisms and Definition of protocols for PEM Fuel cells Accelerated Stress Testing” (ID-FAST) consortium defined the new representative “ID-FAST driving load cycle,” a novel approach capturing the load distribution, transitions, temperature variations, and humidity fluctuations experienced by FCs in real-world operation. We demonstrate the ID-FAST driving cycle itself and the integration into a realistic durability test program for FC test benches and present the resulting test data. Furthermore, we showcase its implementation within an accelerated stress testing (AST) protocol, highlighting its potential to significantly reduce testing time by accelerating degradation. Additionally, a novel method for highly dynamic humidity adjustment within test benches is introduced. By overcoming limitations of existing methods and incorporating the ID-FAST driving cycle, this work paves the way for a new era of efficient and realistic FC endurance testing, ultimately contributing to the development of more robust and durable automotive FC stacks.