{"id":5768,"date":"2020-08-12T14:35:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-12T14:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prod.zbt.compositas.io\/news\/saferef-mea-mit-referenzelektroden-und-sensoren\/"},"modified":"2025-02-07T14:38:34","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T14:38:34","slug":"saferef-mea-with-reference-electrodes-and-sensors","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/zbt.de\/en\/news\/saferef-mea-with-reference-electrodes-and-sensors\/","title":{"rendered":"SAFEREF: MEA with Reference Electrodes and Sensors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SAFEREF: MEA with Reference Electrodes and Sensors<\/h2>\n
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For early detection of cell-damaging operating conditions in fuel cells, ZBT is developing a dynamic reference electrode and a compact multi-sensor unit for the incoming and outgoing anode gas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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PEM fuel cell systems<\/b>\u00a0are operated on the hydrogen side with “anode recirculation” or in “dead end” mode. In both operating modes,\u00a0areas with an insufficient hydrogen supply<\/b>\u00a0can easily form on the anode side, initially unnoticed. At these points, a strong increase in the local electrochemical potential causes, among other things, strong\u00a0degradation of the catalyst layers<\/b>\u00a0and thus premature failure of the fuel cell system.<\/p>\n

In order to counteract or alleviate this problem, ZBT is developing\u00a0dynamic reference electrodes<\/b>\u00a0(DHE) with a very low height in cooperation with the Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft (HSG-VS), that can be integrated into the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). And a\u00a0compact multi-sensor unit<\/b>\u00a0is being developed that can determine pressure, temperature, flow rate and the partial pressures of N2 and O2 on the anode side.<\/p>\n

The combination of these two devices will make it possible to clearly\u00a0identify critical operating conditions<\/b>\u00a0and their causes at an early stage. Both the MEAs equipped with the reference electrodes and the sensor units are designed in such a way that they can be integrated into common fuel cell systems.<\/p>\n

The aim is to significantly\u00a0increase the service life and efficiency<\/b>\u00a0of the fuel cell systems compared to the current state of the art by means of system control based on these measured values, e.g. by “purging” (flushing) the anode side as required.<\/p>\n

Project title:\u00a0SAFEREF Development of reference electrodes suitable for mass production coupled with microgas measurement technology to ensure the safe operation of PEM fuel cell systems.<\/b><\/p>\n

Project timeframe: 1 Apr 2020 \u2013 30 Sep2022<\/p>\n

Contacts:<\/p>\n