Characterization of the Degradation Behavior of Commercial Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) under Accelerated Stress Tests (AST) in Comparison to Stack Performance

Abstract

The present research work focuses on the evaluation of a commercial membrane electrode assembly (MEA) using an Accelerated Stress Test (AST) to replicate previous stack tests. The primary objective of this study is to compare the results obtained with existing test data in order to identify common trends and discrepancies. The experimental procedure comprises several stages, including break-in, operational and material characterizations (BoT, AST, and MoT characterizations), as well as the processing and analysis of the acquired data. Throughout this study, data from more than 2000 hours of operation were collected and systematically evaluated to gain a deeper understanding of the degradation mechanisms and performance evolution of the MEA during long-term operation.