Estimating Defects in a Faulty Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Stack Using a Level-Set Approach with Charge Simulation Methods

Abstract

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have tremendous potential as an energy source be- cause of high efficiency and low pollutant emission. Although a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is core for power generation, it has been reported that the MEA is often damaged due to chemical reactions. Therefore, methods for estimating defects in the MEA are necessary to ensure the safety of the PEFCs. This study proposes a level set-based approach for estimating defects in the MEA of the PEFC stack. The current density in the faulty PEFC is calculated using a charge simulation method. Based on the measured magnetic fields exterior to the PEFC, the shape of the defects in the MEA is identified by updating the level set function. The experimental results show that the proposed method can be used for reconstructing the shape of defects in the MEA.