US 12,456,741 B2
Methods and apparatus for end-of-line testing of fuel cell stacks and electrolyzers
Amir Masoud Niroumand, Agassiz (CA); Michael Hermann Eikerling, Cologne (DE); Hooman Homayouni, Vancouver (CA); Amin Nouri Khorasani, Burnaby (CA); and Mark Randall Olfert, Delta (CA)
Assigned to GREENLIGHT INNOVATION CORPORATION, Burnaby (CA)
Appl. No. 18/035,948
Filed by Greenlight Innovation Corporation, Burnaby (CA)
PCT Filed Nov. 9, 2021, PCT No. PCT/CA2021/051594
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 9, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/099409, PCT Pub. Date May 19, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/111,760, filed on Nov. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0411655 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04664 (2016.01); C25B 15/023 (2021.01); G01M 3/28 (2006.01); G01R 31/378 (2019.01); G01R 31/396 (2019.01); H01M 8/04007 (2016.01); H01M 8/04089 (2016.01); H01M 8/0438 (2016.01); H01M 8/0444 (2016.01); H01M 8/04537 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/04671 (2013.01) [G01R 31/378 (2019.01); G01R 31/396 (2019.01); H01M 8/04007 (2013.01); H01M 8/04089 (2013.01); H01M 8/0438 (2013.01); H01M 8/0444 (2013.01); H01M 8/04552 (2013.01); C25B 15/023 (2021.01); G01M 3/2815 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for end-of-line testing of a fuel cell stack, said fuel cell stack comprising:
a plurality of fuel cell assemblies;
an anode inlet port, an anode outlet port, and an anode flow path passing through each of said plurality of fuel cell assemblies and fluidly connecting said anode inlet port to said anode outlet port within said fuel cell stack;
a cathode inlet port, a cathode outlet port and a cathode flow path passing through each of said plurality of fuel cell assemblies and fluidly connecting said cathode inlet port to said cathode outlet port within said fuel cell stack;
said method comprising, before break-in of said fuel cell stack
supplying a hydrogen-containing gas stream to flow through said anode flow path;
supplying an inert gas stream to flow through said cathode flow path;
measuring a first open circuit voltage across each of said plurality of fuel cell assemblies in said fuel cell stack while said hydrogen-containing gas stream and said inert gas stream are flowing through said anode and cathode flow paths, respectively;
comparing said measured first open circuit voltages with one another or with a reference voltage to identify which, if any, of said plurality of fuel cell assemblies in said fuel cell stack has a defect;
and
wherein each of said hydrogen-containing gas stream and said inert gas stream comprises helium, and each of said hydrogen-containing gas stream and said inert gas stream are supplied to said stack at a pressure greater than an ambient pressure surrounding said fuel cell stack, and said method further comprises testing for external leaks from said fuel cell stack by monitoring an environment surrounding said fuel cell stack for the presence of helium using a helium sensor;
or
wherein said hydrogen-containing gas stream is supplied to flow through said anode flow path at a first pressure, and said inert gas stream is supplied to flow through said cathode flow path at a second pressure, said first pressure greater than said second pressure; and
wherein said fuel cell stack further comprises a coolant inlet port, a coolant outlet port and a coolant flow path fluidly connecting said coolant inlet port to said coolant outlet port within said fuel cell stack; and
wherein said method further comprises:
supplying an oxygen-containing gas stream to flow through said coolant flow path at a third pressure, wherein said third pressure is greater than said first pressure and said second pressure; and
measuring said first open circuit voltage across each of said plurality of fuel cell assemblies in said fuel cell stack while said hydrogen-containing gas stream, said inert gas stream and said oxygen-containing gas stream are flowing through said anode, cathode and coolant flow paths, respectively;
or
wherein said method further comprises, after measuring said first open circuit voltages:
supplying a second hydrogen-containing gas stream to flow through said anode flow path;
supplying an inert gas stream to flow through said cathode flow path;
introducing oxygen into said inert gas stream flowing through said cathode flow path;
while supplying said second hydrogen-containing gas stream to flow through said anode flow path and gradually increasing a concentration of oxygen in said inert gas stream flowing through said cathode flow path, measuring a plurality of open circuit voltages across each of said plurality of fuel cell assemblies in said fuel cell stack to acquire an open-circuit-voltage-versus-cathode-oxygen-concentration profile for each of said plurality of fuel cell assemblies in said fuel cell stack; and
comparing said open-circuit-voltage-versus-cathode-oxygen-concentration profiles with one another or with a reference profile to identify which, if any, of said plurality of fuel cell assemblies in said fuel cell stack has a defect.