Abstract

A system capable of visualizing and measuring the distribution of oxygen partial pressure in fuel cells during vehicle operation at a high level of resolution has been developed in order to help enable the creation of a method of control that would ameliorate the decline in fuel cell performance. Changes in the fluorescent intensity of an oxygen-sensitive reagent coating the gas flow paths of an acrylic plate designed for the visualization of generation were used to measure oxygen partial pressure.The research discussed in this paper made it possible to predict the distribution of increases in the resistance of the materials employed in the fuel cell, which is the main cause of performance declines at high current densities. In addition, the research verified the effectiveness of applying control to reduce the partial pressure of the residual oxygen in the cathode tubes in reducing this increase in resistance, making it possible to develop a method of control that ameliorated the decline in output displayed by fuel cell vehicles.

References

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Author (organization or company)

• Shohei TOYOTA（Automobile R&D Center）
• Chikara IWASAWA（Automobile R&D Center）

Publication Information

Article of Honda R&D Technical Review Vol.27 No.1 (111 - 118)

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Citation Information