Test Characterisation of a H2 PEM Fuel Cell

This paper discusses test characterisation results for a H
₂
PEM fuel cell system developed for electric vehicle applications. An outline of the system design, construction and operation is presented, including the electronic implementation of cell water management. For the chosen fuel cell system, the paper will discuss the importance of stack conditioning to improve output performance, in particular after periods of inactivity. A laboratory based test facility is discussed and characterisation results presented to illustrate the fuel cell system performance for various inlet fuel pressures, steady and dynamic loads.