Improved polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell systems through failure mode analysis and incorporation of degradation into fuel cell hybrid power systems & control strategies

聚合物电解质膜燃料电池（PEM）有望在未来提供更节能、更清洁的电力。 PEM燃料电池的独特之处在于其电解质由一层固体聚合物组成，允许质子从一个面传输到另一个面。它基本上需要加湿的氢气和氧气（或空气）作为输入。由于膜本身热性能的限制以及膜水合的要求（即高于 100 摄氏度，水将不再是液体），它的运行温度比其他燃料电池低得多。 燃料电池“生命之初”的性能已得到充分理解，并已以多种不同的方式进行建模。 然而，电力系统中两个最重要的考虑因素是可靠性和寿命，因此“寿命终止”时的性能很重要。 本研究的目的是开发 PEM 燃料电池堆和系统的可靠性模型，并将故障模式与材料退化现象联系起来。可靠性分析可以被视为组件有效性整体研究的一部分，具体定义为组件在特定条件下运行时，在给定时间内成功满足运行需求的概率。

The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEM) hold the promise of more energy efficient and cleaner power in the future. The PEM fuel cell is unique in that its electrolyte consists of a layer of solid polymer, which allows protons to be transmitted from one face to the other. It basically requires humidified hydrogen and oxygen (or air) as its inputs. It operates at a temperature much lower than other fuel cells because of the limitations imposed by the thermal properties of the membrane itself, and the requirement to hydrate the membrane (i.e. above 100 degrees C the water will not be a liquid). Fuel cell performance at the 'beginning of life' is well understood and has been modeled in a number of different manners. However, two of the most important considerations in an electrical power system are reliability and life, therefore performance at 'end-of-life' is of interest. The objective of this research is to develop a reliability model for a PEM fuel cell stack and system, and link the failure modes to material degradation phenomenon. Reliability analysis can be regarded as part of the overall study of component effectiveness, specifically defined as the probability that the component can successfully meet operational demand within a given time, when operated under specific conditions.