A Real Case: How to Combine Polarization Curve and EIS Techniques to Identify Problematic Cells in a Commercial PEM Stack

Nowadays, the mobility sector is assessing different technologies to substitute the internal combustion engines in order to reduce its CO2 emissions; one of these possible alternatives is the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell. So, the development of non-destructive diagnostic tools that could identify defective cells and/or any malfunctioning behavior and can be easily embarked on in any vehicle will expand the durability of PEM fuel cells, improve their performance, and enable them to carry out predictive maintenance. In this research, we use an in-house developed methodology that combines the polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques to characterize different cells of a commercial PEM stack, identifying malfunctioning ones.