Study and Validation of a PEM Fuel Cell Complex Impedance Measurement System

Objectives: The objective of this work is the study and validation of the complex impedance measurement system for the PEM fuel cell using STM32F4 microcontroller. We present the technical method for measuring the PEM fuel cell complex impedance using this system. Methods: Among the problems of fuel cells development is still the reliability of their performances over time. The solution of this problem is the implementation of an efficient diagnostic method such as the complex impedance measurement of the cells in order to diagnose it in real time using the Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy method (EIS) which is used to diagnose complex electrochemical systems. Findings: To run the complex impedance measurement, it is necessary to use specific software and hardware tools for fuel cells. In this context, we presented the steps of implementation of the system for the measurement of the PEM fuel cell complex impedance. This test bench is realized around the Nexa Ballard PEM fuel cell, an electronic load and a measuring board based on the microcontroller STM32F4 connected to a computer collecting data processed by measurement application developed using LabVIEW® software. The obtained results validate the design of this measuring system. The contribution through the results in this work will be to obtain onboard diagnostic for a PEM fuel cell in the automotive transport field. Application: This system is so small that it can be implemented in an embedded system; it is less expensive than the industrial system for measuring the PEM fuel cell complex impedance.