CCM Roll Conditioning

Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell production facility must condition rolls of catalyst coated membrane [CCM] material to specific humidity and temperature conditions before using CCM in the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cell manufacturing process. Rolls of CCM material are conditioned in a clean room for a fixed time upon delivery to the facility. The fixed time conditioning period was established based on previous testing of when a single type of CCM laid flat. To ensure CCM have dimensional stability, the CCM roll must have uniform water content. Ionic and electronic conductivity is proportional to water content so a CCM will be uniformly conditioned when they equilibrate. The roll conditioning time can be determined when a signal clearly indicates that ionic and/or electronic conductivity has reached a steady state. A test procedure will be developed using direct current (DC) measurements to quantitatively measure whether a CCM roll has been conditioned uniformly. This test procedure can improve quality assurance by tailoring conditioning time to individual types of CCM material and thickness; and possibly reduce the fixed time conditioning process to reduce overall fuel cell manufacturing time.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jon Pharoah

Student:

Partner:

Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing; Retail trade

University:

Queen's University

Program: