Research Unit H: Innovative photonic sensors for fuel cell condition monitoring)

Internal temperature, relative humidity, and the partial pressure of the operating gases are essential parameters for the efficiency and durability of a PEMFC. These parameters must be kept near optimum operation points to ensure sufficient membrane protonation and proton conductivity. Excessive temperatures, blockage of the flow channel by condensation water, or membrane desiccation are detrimental to fuel cell efficiency and durability. Especially in vehicles subject to dynamic conditions, membranes can be taxed into critical operating conditions that shorten their lifespan. The goal of this subproject is to develop electrically and chemically inert optical sensors with fast response times for in-situ process control of relevant parameters near the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) or in the flow channel using innovative compressors.

Research Unit H is a cross-sectional project that aims to provide application-specific optical measuring technologies for the Research Units A, D, and E. The optical fibre sensors will be used in Research Unit A for minimally invasive multipoint temperature, humidity, and gas concentration measurement to investigate molecular degradation and regeneration processes of the catalyst at the MEA. In Research Unit D, the fibre sensors will be used to detect thermal hotspots in a PEMFC stack, in particular because of the fast response time of fibre sensors under real operating conditions. Spectroscopic gas analysis with diode lasers will be used in Research Unit E to provide rapid gas analysis in the flow channel.

 

This project is being carried out at the Polymer Optical Fiber Application Center (POF-AC).

Image: (a) Functional principle of a PEMFC; (b) Functional layers between the collector plate and membrane; (c) Implementation of an FBG sensor in a flow channel Source: K. Rostan, R. Kruglov, V. Seiß, S. Thiel, M. Eichelbaum, und R. Engelbrecht, „In-situ Temperature and Humidity Measurement in PEM Fuel Cells with Off-the-shelf FBG“, in 28th International Conference on Optical Fiber Sensors (2023), paper Tu3.36, Optica Publishing Group, Nov. 2023, S. Tu3.36. doi: https://doi.org/10.1364/OFS.2023.Tu3.36.

Principal investigator

Name Contact
Rainer Engelbrecht Rainer Engelbrecht
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil.

Research associate

Name Contact
Roman Kruglov Roman Kruglov
Dr.