In Situ Membrane Resistance Measurements in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells by Fast Auxiliary Current Pulses

Abstract

A solid‐state current pulse generator for in situ membrane resistance measurements by superimposed square current pulses in polymer electrolyte fuel cells was designed and built. The choice of the measuring technique and of parameters of the instrumentation was based on a critical analysis of the relevant electrochemical and physical processes. The inductance of the current pulse path is very low (≈5 nH), because the last stage of the generator is directly attached to the fuel cell. This low inductance permits the generation of 5 A pulses with extremely fast (decay time ≤5 ns) trailing edges (accompanied by a moderate ringing), which in turn makes it possible to measure the voltage transient induced by the current decay, with gigahertz resolution. The voltage transient is analyzed in a time window of 200 to 700 ns after the end of the pulse. By measurements in this time window, it is possible to separate accurately the ohmic series resistance of the cell (membrane resistance) from the other overpotentials at the electrochemical interfaces. Because the pulse current path is independent of the dc loop, the resistance can be measured independently of the dc value, i.e., at open circuit and under high current density conditions. The instrument was tested, and the results were analyzed for accuracy. Resistances down to 2 mΩ can be measured with an error of <5%. The influence of the pulse length and pulse amplitude on the cell voltage response was also investigated. For cell resistances in the order of few milliohms, a current pulse amplitude of 5 A is the minimum requirement for accurate measurements.