# US 10,770,739 B2 · Method of inspecting output of fuel cell

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- Number: US 10,770,739 B2
- Document ID: US10770739B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/140,771
- Filed: 2018-09-25
- Published: 2019-04-04
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-29
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hodaka Tsuge; Takashi Kato; Tadaaki Yamada; Ayumi Mizuno; You Shimomura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770739B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/04619: {of fuel cell stacks}
- H01M 4/0442: {Anodisation, Oxidation (electrolytic coating by anodisation C25D9/00)}
- H01M 4/926: {on carbon or graphite}
- H01M 8/04: Auxiliary arrangements, e.g. for control of pressure or for circulation of fluids
- H01M 8/04753: {of fuel cell reactants}
- H01M 8/0488: {of fuel cell stacks}
- H01M 8/0491: {of fuel cell stacks}
- H01M 8/1004: characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence)
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

In a method of inspecting an output of a fuel cell, an oxidation step is performed, and thereafter, a measurement step is performed. In the oxidation step, oxidation treatment is applied to an electrode catalyst contained in an anode and a cathode. After the oxidation treatment is applied to the electrode catalyst of the anode and the cathode, in the measurement step, a measurement current which is smaller than a rated current of the fuel cell is applied to the anode and the cathode to measure the output of the fuel cell.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of inspecting an output of a fuel cell, the fuel cell comprising an electrolyte membrane of solid polymer, an anode provided on one surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a cathode provided on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane,
the method comprising:
an oxidation step of applying oxidation treatment to an electrode catalyst contained in the anode and the cathode;
and
a measurement step of measuring the output of the fuel cell after the oxidation treatment is applied to the electrode catalyst, by applying a measurement current which is smaller than a rated current of the fuel cell to the anode and the cathode;
wherein in the oxidation step, a fuel qas is supplied to the anode and an oxygen-containing gas is supplied to the cathode to cause a voltage between the anode and the cathode to be not less than a reduction potential of the electrode catalyst.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of inspecting the output of the fuel cell according to claim 1, comprising a reduction step of applying reduction treatment to the electrode catalyst before the oxidation step.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of inspecting the output of the fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein in the reduction step, a fuel gas is supplied to the anode, an inert gas is supplied to the cathode, and a cyclic voltage is applied to the fuel cell, the cyclic voltage being increased and decreased within a predetermined range having a minimum voltage less than a reduction potential of the electrode catalyst.