Verification of Durability Test Methods of an MEA for Automotive Application

Improvement in durability and cost reduction of fuel cell stacks are two important issues to facilitate widespread dissemination of fuel cell vehicles. As a durability testing method of membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs), potential cycle tests that simulate the operation of a fuel cell vehicle are widely adopted.1,2 The Fuel Cell Commercialization Conference of Japan (FCCJ) has proposed methodologies for testing MEAs and their materials in 2007.3 These methodologies for testing MEAs are intended to promote the development of materials at industry, universities, and research institutes by supplying common, practical, and simple way to evaluate the durability of MEAs.4 The potential cycle tests are aimed at evaluating the durability of electrocatalysts and consist of two protocols, start/sto