TITLE:
A Reliability-Based Strategy for the Analysis of Single Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
AUTHORS:
Patricia da Silva Pagetti de Oliveira, Vinicius Andrea, Elisabete Inacio Santiago, Thiago Lopes, Delvonei Alves de Andrade, Marcelo Linardi
KEYWORDS:
Fuel Cells, Reliability, Durability, Performance, Life Tests, Lifetime, Failure-Time
JOURNAL NAME:
Energy and Power Engineering,
Vol.11 No.8,
August
16,
2019
ABSTRACT:
The development of power conversion systems
based on fuel cells has been demanding reliability studies since the
requirements associated with cost and durability
of these technological products have become fundamental to their acceptance by the energy market. The experimental
part of the reliability study presented in this work consisted of performing
life tests with single proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The
proposed reliability analysis methodology covered the application of
qualitative and quantitative techniques. In the qualitative approach, a Failure
Mode and Effect Analysis was developed in order to identify and evaluate
all potential failures associated with the operation of fuel cells. In the
quantitative approach, a statistical analysis was applied to the sample data
generated in long-term steady-state tests of these devices. A two-parameter exponential distribution was fitted to data and
the maximum likelihood estimate for the mean time to failure (MTTF) of the fuel
cells was calculated. It is important to point out that the tests performed under
the scope of this study were the first long-term experiments performed with the
fuel cells produced in the laboratories of IPEN-CNEN/SP, Brazil. Although the results
indicated that fuel cell performance and durability were still at a level below
the targets normally established for similar commercial devices, the improvement
of the main components of PEMFCs has been the objective of several projects
developed at the institute. Thus, the main benefit brought by this study is the
proposed methodology, which can be implemented as part of a reliability growth
analysis of the fuel cells and can be integrated into the design process of
these devices.