Greenlight Innovation Corporation

Amir Masoud Niroumand

Mark Randall Olfert

Hooman Homayouni

Michael Hermann Eikerling

Motahareh Safiollah

Amin Nouri Khorasani

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus that can be used for efficient end-of-line (EOL) testing of electrochemical stacks once they are assembled, and prior to break-in or operation of the stack. Rapid test methods and test methods that can be performed in parallel to detect different types of defects are described. Embodiments of the methods and apparatus can be used for testing PEM fuel cell stacks and electrolyzers.

Methods and apparatus for end-of-line testing of fuel cell stacks and electrolyzers

Methods and apparatus for detecting electrical short circuits in fuel cell stacks are provided. The methods involve supplying a reactant and an inert gas to a fuel cell stack and measuring the open circuit voltage of fuel cell assemblies in the fuel cell stack. The sensitivity of the methods can be adjusted to detect an electrical short circuit having a resistance at or below a particular threshold short-circuit resistance value, by using a suitable reactant concentration in the method. The methods can include determining a set-point reactant concentration that can be used to detect an electrical short circuit having a resistance at or below a particular threshold short-circuit resistance value.

Methods and apparatus for detecting electrical short circuits in fuel cell stacks

Methods, systems, and techniques are provided for acquiring fuel cell polarization data, obtaining fuel cell polarization parameters from the fuel cell polarization data, and validating the reliability of the obtained data and parameters. In some aspects methods for acquiring and parameterizing proton exchange membrane fuel cell polarization data include measuring at least one current-voltage point for an operating fuel cell, and determining at least one polarization parameter of the fuel cell by evaluating a closed form solution using the at least one current-voltage point.

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Agassiz, Canada

Amir Masoud Niroumand