Verification of Durability Test Methods of an MEA for Automotive Application

Abstract

Potential cycle tests that simulate the operation of a fuel cell vehicle are widely adopted as a durability testing method of membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs). The Fuel Cell Commercialization Conference of Japan (FCCJ) has proposed methodologies for testing MEAs and their materials in 2007, focusing on the evaluation of the durability of electrode materials. The two protocols, start/stop durability test and load cycle durability test, were revised in 2011 based on the up-to-date knowledge concerning fuel cell durability. In this study, we applied the revised protocols to a standard electrocatalyst, and the effect of the revision was verified. We have demonstrated that the revision of the protocols accelerates the evaluation of fuel cell materials and verified that the revised protocols effectively separate the degradation of Pt electrocatalyst from that of carbon support.