Combining Electrical and Pressure Measurements for Early Flooding Detection in a PEM Fuel Cell

Water flooding is one of the main causes of performance degradation for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (FCs), and its prompt detection is therefore important to guarantee optimal FC operation. This paper aims at comparing the most common methods for flooding diagnosis, which are based on electrical or gas pressure measurements. Their differences in terms of sensitivity to flooding are investigated, primarily focusing on their suitability for its early detection. In particular, the differences between anodic and cathodic pressure drop measurements are highlighted, as well as their relationship with the FC electrical output. The experimental results show that cathodic pressure measurements are the most convenient choice for early flooding detection. Measurements have been performed on a single cell, since it allows an easier interpretation of the results, although the applicability of the considered methods to FC stacks for commercial applications is also discussed.