Enhancing Efficiency and Durability: Innovations in Fuel Cell Component Testing
Key Ideas
  • MANN+HUMMEL has developed a new test bench in Ludwigsburg to test humidifiers under real conditions, aiming to extend the lifetime of fuel cell components.
  • Fuel cells, particularly those with polymer electrolyte membranes (PEM), rely on proper moisture levels for efficient proton transfer, and the test bench helps optimize this crucial factor.
  • The test bench allows for simultaneous testing of multiple components in a wide temperature range, enabling performance and endurance tests to enhance efficiency and reliability.
  • By optimizing humidifiers through the test bench, the lifetime of fuel cell stacks can be significantly prolonged, contributing to cost reduction and scalability of hydrogen-powered transportation.
Hydrogen fuel cells are gaining attention as a promising alternative to traditional battery-electric drives in the pursuit of a zero-emission future. MANN+HUMMEL, based in Ludwigsburg, Germany, has developed a cutting-edge test bench to assess humidifiers under real conditions, crucial for enhancing the efficiency and durability of fuel cell components. Fuel cells, which convert chemical energy, particularly hydrogen, into electrical energy, rely on the proper moisture level within the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) for optimal performance. Inadequate humidification can lead to membrane dryness, impacting fuel cell efficiency. The newly developed test bench allows for the simultaneous testing of numerous components in a broad temperature range, facilitating performance and endurance evaluations that improve overall efficiency and reliability. By optimizing humidifiers through this advanced testing system, MANN+HUMMEL aims to significantly extend the lifetime of fuel cell stacks, paving the way for cost-effective and scalable hydrogen-powered transportation solutions.
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