Making Fuel Cell AC Impedance Measurements Using Electronic Loads
Application Notes
Keysight electronic loads simplify acquisition ofmeasurement data
Making AC impedance measurements on fuel cells can help identify problems with the fuel cell components and help identify deviations in the fuel cell assembly process. When multiple impedance measurements are made at various frequencies, the results can be plotted across the frequency band resulting in an Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) measurement. Keysight electronic loads have several features that help to simplify this measurement process. This application note discusses a method to make use of the Keysight electronic loads in conjunction with some other readily available equipment to make AC impedance measurements on fuel cells.
Why make AC impedance measurements?
Making AC impedance measurements on fuel cells is important for several reasons. These measurements help identify the kinetic resistances in the fuel cell system, the ohmic resistances in the system (e.g., electrolyte, contact, porous layer resistance), and the transport limitations of the reactant. Fuel cell components affecting the impedance value can include current collectors, porous electrodes, the catalytic layer, and the membrane. The impedance measurements can help identify both problems with the fuel cell components and deviations in the fuel cell assembly process.