Long-term durability of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells is one of the major technological barriers to the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles. The cracks in the electrode layers of the MEA, referred to as mud-cracks, are potential contributors to the failure in the PEM. To investigate how these mud-cracks affect the mechanical durability of the MEA, pressure-loaded blister tests are performed at to determine the biaxial fatigue strength of Gore-Primea® series 57 MEA. In these volume-controlled tests, leaking rate is determined as a function of fatigue cycles. The failure is defined to occur when the leaking rate exceeds a specified threshold. Postmortem characterization using bubble point testing and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was conducted to provide visual documentation of leaking failure sites. The analysis of the experimental leaking data indicates that the MEA has much shorter lifetimes at the same nominal stress levels than membrane samples without the electrode layers. FESEM photomicrographs of leaking locations identified via the bubble point testing show cracks in the membrane that are concentrated within the mud-cracks of the electrode layer. These two pieces of information indicate that the mud-cracks within the electrode layers contribute to the leaking failures of the MEA assembly. For the fuel cell industry, this study suggests there is an opportunity to reduce the likelihood of membrane pinhole failures by reducing the size and occurrence of the mud-cracks formed during the MEA processing or by increasing the fatigue resistance (including the notch sensitivity) of the membrane material within the MEA.
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August 2010
This article was originally published in
Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology
Research Papers
The Effect of Mechanical Fatigue on the Lifetimes of Membrane Electrode Assemblies
Michael Pestrak,
Michael Pestrak
Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
, Blacksburg, VA 24061
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Yongqiang Li,
Yongqiang Li
Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
, Blacksburg, VA 24061
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Scott W. Case,
Scott W. Case
Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
, Blacksburg, VA 24061
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David A. Dillard,
David A. Dillard
Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
, Blacksburg, VA 24061
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Michael W. Ellis,
Michael W. Ellis
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
, Blacksburg, VA 24061
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Yeh-Hung Lai,
Yeh-Hung Lai
Fuel Cell Research Laboratories,
GM R&D General Motors Corporation
, 10 Carriage Street, Honeoye Falls, NY 14472
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Craig S. Gittleman
Craig S. Gittleman
Fuel Cell Research Laboratories,
GM R&D General Motors Corporation
, 10 Carriage Street, Honeoye Falls, NY 14472
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Michael Pestrak
Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
, Blacksburg, VA 24061
Yongqiang Li
Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
, Blacksburg, VA 24061
Scott W. Case
Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
, Blacksburg, VA 24061
David A. Dillard
Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
, Blacksburg, VA 24061
Michael W. Ellis
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
, Blacksburg, VA 24061
Yeh-Hung Lai
Fuel Cell Research Laboratories,
GM R&D General Motors Corporation
, 10 Carriage Street, Honeoye Falls, NY 14472
Craig S. Gittleman
Fuel Cell Research Laboratories,
GM R&D General Motors Corporation
, 10 Carriage Street, Honeoye Falls, NY 14472J. Fuel Cell Sci. Technol. Aug 2010, 7(4): 041009 (10 pages)
Published Online: April 7, 2010
Article history
Received:
July 10, 2008
Revised:
August 25, 2009
Online:
April 7, 2010
Published:
April 7, 2010
Citation
Pestrak, M., Li, Y., Case, S. W., Dillard, D. A., Ellis, M. W., Lai, Y., and Gittleman, C. S. (April 7, 2010). "The Effect of Mechanical Fatigue on the Lifetimes of Membrane Electrode Assemblies." ASME. J. Fuel Cell Sci. Technol. August 2010; 7(4): 041009. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4000629
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