Electrochemical assessment of contact pressure effects on durability of high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells under dynamic operation

Todorovski, Filip (author), Todorovski, Emilija (author), Sekavčnik, Mihael (author), Mori, Mitja (author), Lotrič, Andrej (author)

This study examines the impact of nominal contact pressure on the electrochemical performance and degradation behaviour of high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) with pre-doped polybenzimidazole (p-PBI) membranes, focusing primarily on start-stop cycling durability. Three nominal contact pressures—0.30 MPa, 0.55 MPa, and 0.85 MPa—were applied during 70-cycle start-stop tests. Performance evolution was assessed using polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), distribution of relaxation times (DRT), and spatial current density mapping.

• Language: English
• Keywords: high-temperature PEM fuel cell, start-stop cycling protocol, nominal contact pressure, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, distribution of relaxation times
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 18 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 540, art. 147254
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-171757
• UDC: 621.352.6:543.429.3
• ISSN on article: 0013-4686
• DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2025.147254
• COBISS.SI-ID: 247259395
• Publication date in RUL: 01.09.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Electrochimica Acta
• Shortened title: Electrochim. acta
• Publisher: Pergamon Press
• ISSN: 0013-4686
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1106959

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: visokotemperaturne PEM gorivne celice, protokol start-stop ciklanja, nominalni kontaktni tlak, elektrokemična impedančna spektroskopija, distribucija relaksacijskih časov

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P2-0401
• Name: Energetsko strojništvo