Test Module P-06:

Low Temperature Test

Objective and Scope Critical Parameters and Parameter Controls

The target of this Test Module is to obtain information on - Thermal equilibration between climate chamber and
the stack start-up (approach A) and the stack operation fuel cell stack
(approach B) at low ambient temperature depending on the - Measured stack temperature during test phase
coolant loop parameters and the ambient conditions. It can - Control coolant flow rate
be used to optimise the shut-down and the start-up - Control pressure adjustment
procedure as well as the coolant loop parameters with
respect to the stack performance at low operating Test Output Parameter (TOP)
temperatures.
Approach A: Approach B:
TOPs Type TOPs Type
Test Input Parameter (TIP) t50% measured Pstack calculated
Depending on the aim of test (approach A or B) the stack t100% measured Ucell,min measured
has to be out of operation or in operation. The ambient test T50% measured Qcool measured
temperature has to be constant before starting test T100% measured
procedure.
- Approach A: time to reach 50% and 100% of nominal
In approach A in particular the coolant flow rate and the
rated power (and corresponding stack temperature)
environmental test temperature are varied to analyse the
- Approach B: stack performance, minimum cell voltage
response time to reach 50% and 100% of nominal power.
and required coolant flow depending on the TIPs
In approach B, the influence of the coolant temperature
difference across the stack and of the environmental
Data Post Processing
temperature on the stack performance will be analysed.
It is recommended to present the test profile and the test
Variable TIPs Variable TIPs
Static TIPs Static TIPs
Parameter Direction of Change Parameter Direction of Change results as shown below.
Qfuel,min, Qox,min Tcc high to low Tstack Tcc high to low
Ustack Qcool low to high pfuel, pox DTcool
low to high
pfuel, pox lfuel, lox Istack
lfuel, lox DPox, DPfuel Approach A:
RHox, RHfuel Approach A RHcc Approach B
RHcc

Test Procedure
To prepare the fuel cell stack for low ambient temperature
test an operation at nominal conditions and a shut-down
procedure have to be done. A climate chamber is needed
for the validation of this Test Module.
In approach A, the stack has to be flushed with nitrogen
before cooling to avoid water condensation inside the Approach B:
stack. After thermal equilibration it is recommended to
characterise the time till 50% and 100% of electrical stack
output power at nominal conditions will be reached at the
tested environment.
In approach B the stack behaviour will be analysed during
operation and is influenced by the TIPs.

Contact Stack-Test: The research leading to these results has received funding from the European
Stacktest.zsw-bw.de Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) for the Fuel Cells and
Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative under grant n° 303445.
 Project no. 303445

Development of PEM Fuel Cell Stack Reference Test

Procedures for Industry

Test Module P-06: Low Temperature Test

Final revised document

Version 6.0 (August 31, 2015)

Authors:
Thomas Jungmann (Fraunhofer ISE)
Jens Mitzel (DLR)
TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

Table of Contents

1. Objective and Scope .............................................................................................................................2

2. List of Quantities...................................................................................................................................2

3. Test Equipment and Setup ...................................................................................................................3

4. Test Input Parameters (TIPs) ................................................................................................................3

4.1 TIPs for Approach A: Stack Start-Up at Low Ambient Temperature................................................3

4.2 TIPs for Approach B: Stack Operation at Low Ambient Temperature .............................................4

5. Test Output Parameters (TOPs)............................................................................................................5

5.1 TOPs for Approach A: Stack Start-Up at Low Ambient Temperature ..............................................5

5.2 TOPs for Approach B: Stack Operation at Low Ambient Temperature ...........................................5

6. Test Procedure .....................................................................................................................................5

6.1. Critical Parameters and Parameter Controls ..................................................................................6

6.2. Preconditioning of the Fuel Cell Stack ............................................................................................6

6.3. Test for Stack Behaviour at Temperatures below Room Temperatures ........................................6

6.3.1 Approach A: Stack Start-Up at Low Ambient Temperature ...................................................... 7

6.3.2 Approach B: Stack Operation at Low Ambient Temperature ................................................. 10
7. Data Post Processing ......................................................................................................................... 12

7.1 Main Data Analysis........................................................................................................................ 12

7.2 Additional Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 14

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TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

1. Objective and Scope

The Test Module P-06 entitled “Low Temperature Test” is a testing procedure concerning the fuel cell
stack behaviour in a low ambient temperature range. This behaviour is influenced by several
parameters which are the cooling circuit, start-up and shut-down strategy as well as the load of the
fuel cell. These parameters can be varied in the test while other parameters remain constant.
The target of this Test Module is divided into two parts. Approach A investigates the stack start-up
behaviour at low ambient temperatures and measures the fuel cell stack response time to reach 50%
and 100% of the nominal rated power. Approach B analyses the stack performance at low ambient
temperatures during operation depending on the coolant temperature difference across the stack
and the ambient temperature.

2. List of Quantities

Symbol Sensor / actor nomenclature Unit Parameter name

Pstack Electrical stack output power W P.S.el
Pnom. Nominal rated power W P.S.nom
P50% 50% of nominal rated power (at nominal conditions) W -
Qcool Flow stack inlet coolant liquid nL / min F.Si.CL
Qfuel,min Flow stack inlet anode minimum nL / min F.Si.Amin
Qox,min Flow stack inlet cathode minimum nL / min F.Si.Cmin
Tcc Temperature climate chamber °C T.CC
Stack temperature defined by temperature stack inlet
Tstack °C T.Si.CL
coolant liquid
Tcool,in Temperature Stack inlet Coolant Liquid °C T.Si.CL
Tcool,out Temperature Stack outlet Coolant Liquid °C T.So.CL
ΔTcool Temperature difference between T.Si.CL and T.So.CL °C T.S.CL.delta
t50% Time to reach 50% of nominal rated power s -
t100% Time to reach 100% of nominal rated power s -
T50% Stack temperature at t50% °C -
T100% Stack temperature at t100% °C -
RHCC Relative humidity in the climate chamber % RH.CC
RHfuel Fuel relative humidity stack inlet anode % RH.Si.A
RHox Oxidant relative humidity stack inlet cathode % RH.Si.C
DPfuel Fuel dew point temperature stack inlet anode °C DPT.Si.A
DPox Oxidant dew point temperature stack inlet cathode °C DPT.Si.C
pfuel Fuel pressure stack outlet anode kPaabs p.So.A
pox Oxidant pressure stack outlet cathode kPaabs p.So.C

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TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

Symbol Sensor / actor nomenclature Unit Parameter name

lfuel Fuel stoichiometry stack anode - Stoic.S.A
lox Oxidant stoichiometry stack cathode - Stoic.S.C
TOCtest Test operating conditions defined for the test - -
Ustack Stack voltage V U.S
Uav,cell Average cell voltage V U.S.AveCell
Ucell,min Minimum cell voltage V U.S.MinCell
Istack Stack load A I.S.
istack Stack current density A / cm² Idens.S
N Numbers of single cells in the stack - -

3. Test Equipment and Setup

- Climate chamber
- Test bench (equipment and requirements defined in TM P-00)
- Cooling loop inside climate chamber: The cooling loop is a very sensitive part of the test
equipment.
o Approach A: The external heating of the coolant (e.g., with the use of a thermostat)
is enabled. But the coolant has to be cooled down when the maximum allowed stack
temperature is reached. Excessive stack heating must be avoided.
o Approach B: The stack temperature control using external heating and cooling is
active and the coolant temperature difference across the stack is an additional
control parameter for the coolant flow.
- PC for data acquisition
- Compulsory temperature sensors at cooling inlet and outlet, and stack surface

4. Test Input Parameters (TIPs)

Below, the variable and static Test Input Parameters are explained separately for both described test
approaches in this Test Module. For both, it is recommended that the relative humidity in the climate
chamber RHCC should be 50% (when the climate chamber temperature is higher than 0 °C).

4.1 TIPs for Approach A: Stack Start-Up at Low Ambient Temperature

The static inputs do not vary during the entire test duration and depend on the used fuel cell stack.
Before performing this Test Module, the stack should be operated at room temperatures under
nominal conditions as specified by the manufacturer or evaluated with other Stack-Test test
procedures. The main static input parameters of this test procedure are the test operating conditions
(TOCtest) represented by pfuel, pox, λfuel, λox, RHfuel and RHox. Thereby, the use of relative humidity values
is recommended because the stack temperature varies during the test. Additionally, the minimum
reactant flows and the stack voltage during the test Ustack has to be defined.
Ustack can be calculated based on the average cell voltage Uav,cell and the numbers of single cells N in
the stack as shown in Equation 1.

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TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

Ustack  N  Uav,cell Eq. 1

This procedure is defined for constant stack voltage Ustack and has to be repeated for studies
regarding the impact of the stack voltage using the formula of a Test Program (see TP P-03).

The variable TIPs are the ambient temperature in the climate chamber TCC and the cooling media
flow rate Qcool.

The variable and static Test Input Parameters for approach A are summarised in Table 1.

Table 1: TIPs for approach A

Variable TIPs
Static TIPs
Parameter Direction of Change
Qfuel,min, Qox,min Tcc high to low
Ustack Qcool low to high
pfuel, pox
lfuel, lox
RHox, RHfuel
RHcc

4.2 TIPs for Approach B: Stack Operation at Low Ambient Temperature

The static input parameters for this approach are similar to section 4.1. The main static TIPs are the
test operating conditions (TOCtest) represented by pfuel, pox, λfuel, λox, RHfuel ,RHox and Tstack. In contrast
to approach A, also the stack temperature is static in approach B.

The variable TIPs are the ambient temperature in the climate chamber TCC, the temperature
difference between coolant inlet and outlet of the stack ΔTcool , and the stack current Istack. Thereby,
the DTcool have to be controlled by the adjustment of the coolant flow Qcool for each test point.

The variable and static Test Input Parameters for approach B are summarised in Table 2

Table 2: TIPs for approach B

Variable TIPs
Static TIPs
Parameter Direction of Change
Tstack Tcc high to low
pfuel, pox DTcool
low to high
lfuel, lox Istack
DPox, DPfuel
RHcc

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TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

5. Test Output Parameters (TOPs)

The main output parameters of this test procedure are different for both approaches and are
summarised in the following.

5.1 TOPs for Approach A: Stack Start-Up at Low Ambient Temperature

The TOPs for approach A are presented in Table 3. The response time to 50% of the nominal rated
stack power t50% and the response time to 100% of the nominal rated stack power t100% are the
primary TOPs. Additionally, the related stack temperatures for both electrical stack output power
levels, T50% and T100%, can be used as secondary TOPs.

Table 3: TOPs for approach A

TOPs Type
t50% measured
t100% measured
T50% measured
T100% measured

5.2 TOPs for Approach B: Stack Operation at Low Ambient Temperature

The TOPs for approach B are presented in Table 4. The stack performance depending on the TIPs is
the main TOP and the minimum single cell voltage as well as the coolant flow rate can be used as
additional TOPs.

Table 4: TOPs for approach B

TOPs Type
Pstack calculated
Ucell,min measured
Qcool measured

Ucell,min can be used to identify water management problems in individual single cells and is therefore
a parameter for the homogeneity of the stack. Qcool can be used to determine the required coolant
flow for DTcool control (depending on electrical load level and heat dissipation to climate chamber).

6. Test Procedure

In this chapter an explicit description of all important parameters and parameter controls is given as
well as a detailed appellation of the two considered test approaches.

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TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

6.1. Critical Parameters and Parameter Controls

Critical parameters in this Test Module are:

- Cooling loop temperature: If the temperature difference between coolant loop and ambient
temperature is too high, a damage of the stack could occur.
- Coolant flow rate: If the coolant flow rate is too low, the heat removal and heat distribution
in the fuel cell stack can be insufficient.
- Response time to nominal power: Long response time can result in local overheating or
freezing.
- Temperature difference between coolant inlet and outlet: If the temperature difference is
outside the specifications from the stack manufacturer, stack damage or accelerated
performance loss could occur.

Parameter controls for this Test Module is needed for:

- Coolant flow rate: Parameter control is needed to avoid stack damage.

- Minimum cell voltage Ucell,min: Parameter surveillance is needed to ensure manufacturers
safety specifications.
- Temperature difference between coolant inlet and outlet: Parameter surveillance is needed
to avoid stack damage.

6.2. Preconditioning of the Fuel Cell Stack

The preconditioning of the fuel cell stack is specified in the Stack-Test Master Document (TM P-00).

6.3. Test for Stack Behaviour at Temperatures below Room

Temperatures

Below, the two main challenging conditions for PEM fuel cell stack performance and the resulting
behaviour at low ambient temperatures are described. Approach A has the goal to analyse the
response time to reach 50% and 100% of nominal rated power after start-up depending on the
ambient temperature. Approach B analyses the influence of the ambient temperature as well as the
coolant temperature difference between stack inlet and outlet on the stack performance.

To determine the real test time, a pre-test is recommended. Thereby, the time to reach the thermal
equilibrium between climate chamber conditions and PEM fuel cell stack including the coolant loop
will be identified. Afterwards, it is recommended to keep the fuel cell stack for 15 minutes at these
conditions before starting the next test point.

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TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

6.3.1 Approach A: Stack Start-Up at Low Ambient Temperature

By this approach, a comparative study using the same cooling system and different fuel cell stacks
can be realised. This approach minimises the influence of the coolant loop (especially the coolant
volume) on the rest results. Both, the complete cooling loop and the fuel cell stack, are placed in the
climate chamber. Aim of this approach is an analysis of the stack response time to reach 50% of
nominal rated power.

All compartments which are inside the climate chamber have to be insulated in a way that no
undesired effects influence the measurement. Furthermore, it is compulsory to measure the coolant
inlet and outlet temperatures directly at the stack and inside the coolant media. It has to be ensured
that the stack is in thermal equilibration to its environment before the test is started. Therefore, the
coolant temperatures at stack inlet and outlet are monitored and compared to the temperature in
the climate chamber.

The procedure should be realised in a potentiostatic mode and the load level of the stack is defined
by the stack voltage Ustack. Consequently, the stack current and the resulting electrical stack output
power increase during the test.

An example Test Point Matrix is shown in Table 5. Therein, the temperate of the climate chamber
and the coolant flow are varied using 3 set points.

Table 5: example Test Point Matrix for approach A

Qcoolant TCC
Test Point
[L/min] [°C]
1 5 0
2 5 -10
3 5 -20
4 10 0
5 10 -10
6 10 -20
7 15 0
8 15 -10
9 15 -20

The resulting 9 test points have to be realised according to a defined procedure for each test point:

1. After adjustment of the set points for the coolant flow and the temperature of the climate
chamber, the stack is operated using nominal conditions for 30 minutes and the nominal
electrical stack output power is determined as the average value during the last 5 minutes.
2. The stack is shut-down using the procedure specified in the Stack-Test Master Document (TM
P-00) or by the stack manufacturer. Thereby, a sufficient nitrogen flush has to be applied to
remove water from the stack.
3. While maintaining the coolant flow according to the set point, the stack is allowed to cool
down to the temperature of the climate chamber without gas flow. The cool down is
complete when the temperatures of the coolant at stack inlet and stack outlet are equal to

7
TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

the temperature of the climate chamber (Equation 2). This ensures the thermal equilibrium
of the stack and the coolant loop with the environment.

Tcool,in  Tcool,out  Tcc  1C Eq. 2

4. The reactants are started using nominal conditions and minimum reactant flow specified by
the stack manufacturer, but without humidification.
5. The stack voltage is adjusted to the predefined test voltage and the response time
measurement is started.
6. The reactant flows are adjusted following the stack current and the humidification is started
when the stack temperature is higher than 5 °C.
7. The response time t50% (and the resulting stack temperature T50%) is determined when the
electrical stack output power reaches 50% of the value determined in step 1.
8. The response time t100% (and the resulting stack temperature T100%) is determined when the
electrical stack output power reaches the value determined in step 1.

An additional step using nominal conditions and an ambient temperature of 25 °C is recommended

after the variation of the coolant flow to assure stack conditioning for each coolant flow set point.
This procedure and the overall workflow for approach A are summarised in Figure 1.

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TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

Start of TM

Tcc = 25 °C

Qcool set point h

Ustack at TOCtest for 30 min

Tcc set point k

Ustack at TOCtest for 30 min

Measure Pnom

Shut-down and N2 flush

Wait until Tstack=Tcc

Set Qfuel,min, Qox,min, TOCtest

RHfuel=RHox=0%

h=h+1
Set Ustack k=k+1
k=kmin

Increase reactant flow following Istack

Start humidification at Tstack=5°C

Wait until Pstack=0.5·Pnom

Measure t50%, T50%

Wait until Pstack=Pnom

Measure t100%, T,100% no

k=kmax

yes
no

k=kmax

yes

End of TM

Figure 1: workflow for approach A

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TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

6.3.2 Approach B: Stack Operation at Low Ambient Temperature

Approach B analyses the influence of the ambient temperature as well as the coolant temperature
difference between stack inlet and outlet on the stack performance at different load levels. This
approach can be of special interest for a stack operating at low electrical load and low ambient
temperature.

The procedure should be realised in a galvanostatic mode and the load level of the stack is defined by
the stack current Istack. Consequently, the stack voltage is affected by the test conditions und the
electrical stack output power is used as performance output parameter for each test step.

During this test, the fuel cell stack and the cooling loop are placed in the climate chamber and the
stack is running at e.g. nominal rated power. Then the temperature of the climate chamber will be
stepwise reduced to the predefined set points. The coolant temperature difference and electrical
load set points will be realised at each set point of the climate chamber temperature. The electrical
stack output power, the minimum cell voltage and the coolant flow needed to maintain the coolant
temperature difference across the stack will be measured for each set point.
The dwell time (stabilisation time plus analysis time) for each test point is defined by the stability
criterion for the TOPs. Stabilisation time and analysis time will depend on the test objective. The
following minimum time scale is recommended, but can be adjusted to the test objective to decrease
the overall test duration:
- Stabilisation time: 20 minutes
- Analysis time: 10 minutes
- Resulting dwell time: 30 minutes

An example Test Point Matrix is shown in Table 6. Therein, 2 set points are used for the temperate of
the climate chamber as well as the coolant temperature difference between stack inlet and outlet
and 3 set points for the electrical load level. The resulting Test Point Matrix consists of 12 test points.

Table 6: example Test Point Matrix for approach B

TCC DTcool Load Level
Test Point
[°C] [L/min] [%]
1 -10 5 50
2 -10 5 75
3 -10 5 100
4 -10 10 50
5 -10 10 75
6 -10 10 100
7 -20 5 50
8 -20 5 75
9 -20 5 100
10 -20 10 50
11 -20 10 75
12 -20 10 100

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TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

Additional steps using nominal conditions and an ambient temperature of 25 °C are recommended at
the start and the end of the procedure to assure stack conditioning. The procedure and the overall
workflow for approach B are summarised in Figure 2.

Start of TM

Tcc = 25 °C

Nominal stack operation for 30

min (Istack, TOCnom)

Tcc set point h

DTcool set point k

Stack operation for 15 min at

nominal load

Istack set point l

Stack operation for 30 min

h=h+1
k=k+1
Measure: l=l+1 k=kmin
l=lmin
Pstack, Ucell,min, Qcool l=lmin

l=lmax no

yes

Stack operation for 15 min at

nominal load

k=kmax

yes

h=hmax

yes

Tcc = 25 °C

Nominal stack operation for 30

min(Istack, TOCnom)

End of TM

Figure 2: workflow for approach B

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TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

7. Data Post Processing

In the following, some recommendations concerning the analysis of the test results are given. This
represents the minimum suggested summary of this Test Module.

7.1 Main Data Analysis

For the graphical evaluation, it is recommended to present the test profiles for both approaches.
Thereby, the test profiles have to include the variable TIPs and the TOPs. Additionally, static TIPs with
high influence on the stack performance can be added. Example schemes for the test profiles of both
approaches are presented in Figure 3 and Figure 4.

Figure 3: Example scheme for the test profile of approach A

Figure 4: Example scheme for the test profile of approach B

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TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

For meaningful interpretation of the test results and the parameter stability, it is mandatory to
present the stability of the main test input and test output parameters:
- Method A: temperature of the climate chamber, coolant flow rate and response times
(resulting stack temperatures can be added optionally)
- Method B: temperature of the climate chamber, coolant temperature difference between
stack inlet and outlet, the electrical stack load and the electrical stack output power
(minimum cell voltage and coolant flow can be added optionally)
Thereby, a graphical presentation including error bars for standard deviation as well as min/max
deviation over the analysed step time is recommended (if applicable).

The main test input and test output parameters should be determined from the average during the
analysis time after sufficient parameter stabilisation (stabilisation time).
The data received can be evaluated in a tabular or a graphic way. The tabular form should include the
mean value, the standard deviation as well as the min / max deviation of the main test input and test
output parameter. An example result presentation is shown for both approaches in table Table 7 and
Table 8.

Table 7: recommended tabular presentation of the test input and test output parameters in approach A
TCC [°C] Qcool [L/min]
Test Test
mean standard min. max. mean standard min. max.
point point
value deviation deviation deviation value deviation deviation deviation
1 1
2 2
3 3
… …

TOPs
t50% [s] T50% [°C]
Test Test
mean standard min. max. mean standard min. max.
point point
value deviation deviation deviation value deviation deviation deviation
1 1
2 2
3 3
… …
t100% [s] T100% [°C]
Test Test
mean standard min. max. mean standard min. max.
point point
value deviation deviation deviation value deviation deviation deviation
1 1
2 2
3 3
… …

Table 8: recommended tabular presentation of the test input and test output parameters in approach B
TCC [°C] DTcool [°C] Istack [A]
Test Test Test
mean standard min. max. mean standard min. max. mean standard min. max.
point point point
value deviation deviation deviation value deviation deviation deviation value deviation deviation deviation
1 1 1
2 2 2
3 3 3
… … …

TOPs
Pstack [W] Ucell,min [V] Qcool [L/min]
Test Test Test
mean standard min. max. mean standard min. max. mean standard min. max.
point point point
value deviation deviation deviation value deviation deviation deviation value deviation deviation deviation
1 1 1
2 2 2
3 3 3
… … …

Regarding the use of error bars, it is recommended to insert two different types. The standard
deviation represents the variation of the parameter over time and is therefore an indication for the
TOP stability. The min / max deviation represents the deviation between the minimum and maximum
parameter value and is more sensitive to short-term instabilities. For a comparative study of different

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TM P-06 Low Temperature Test

stacks, the plot can be too confusing when both error bars are included. Thereby, the use of min /
max deviation is recommended.

7.2 Additional Analysis

HFR measurements can evaluate the water management in the stack and the ion conductivity of the
membranes. The results can be presented in the same manner as shown for the TOPs in section 7.1.

14