# US 2013/0157153 A1 · Apparatus and method of in situ catalyst degradation detection during fuel cell operation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0157153 A1 - Document ID: US20130157153A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/331,037 - Filed: 2011-12-20 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-20 - Assignees: Nissan North America, Inc. - Inventors: ELLAZAR V. NIANGAR; TAEHEE HAN; NILESH DALE; KEVORK ADJEMIAN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130157153A1 ## CPC - H01M 8/04462: {of anode exhausts} - H01M 8/0447: {of cathode exhausts} - H01M 8/04664: Failure or abnormal function - H01M 8/0662: Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning - H01M 8/04126: {Humidifying} - 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 Disclosed herein are catalyst degradation detection assemblies and methods of catalyst degradation detection that can be performed in-situ. One embodiment of an in-situ fuel cell catalyst degradation detection assembly comprises a humidified hydrogen supply configured to supply humidified hydrogen to an anode of a fuel cell, a humidified nitrogen supply configured to supply humidified nitrogen to a cathode of the fuel cell, a collection cell containing a liquid, the collection cell configured to receive either cathode exhaust from the fuel cell through a cathode exhaust line or anode exhaust from the fuel cell through an anode exhaust line and means for detecting a gas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An in-situ fuel cell catalyst degradation detection assembly comprising: a humidified hydrogen supply configured to supply humidified hydrogen to an anode of a fuel cell; a humidified nitrogen supply configured to supply humidified nitrogen to a cathode of the fuel cell; a collection cell containing a liquid, the collection cell configured to receive an exhaust from the fuel cell; and means for detecting a gas. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a sparger for bubbling dry nitrogen in the liquid, wherein the liquid is water and the means for detecting the gas is a non-dispersive infrared sensor in fluid communication with the collection cell. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The assembly of claim 2, wherein the gas that is detected is carbon dioxide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The assembly of claim 2, wherein the gas that is detected is one of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and methane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the gas that is detected is carbon dioxide and the means for detecting the gas is a dissolved carbon dioxide meter configured to test the liquid in the collection cell. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the liquid contains a base, the gas that is detected is carbon dioxide and the means for detecting the gas is a titration kit for titrating the liquid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the liquid is ultra-pure water, the gas that is detected is carbon dioxide and the means for detecting the gas is a conductivity meter configured to measure conductivity of the liquid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The assembly of claim 2 further comprising a data logger configured to log data from the means for detecting the gas in a memory device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein the exhaust is one of an anode exhaust or a cathode exhaust. ### Claim 10 A method of detecting fuel cell catalyst degradation in-situ comprising: supplying humidified hydrogen to an anode of a fuel cell; supplying humidified nitrogen to a cathode of the fuel cell; cycling the cell potential to simulate start-stop operation of the fuel cell; collecting exhaust gas from the fuel cell in a collection cell having a level of liquid; and detecting a gas as a dissolved gas in the liquid or as collected gas above the liquid with a gas detector. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising: sparging the liquid in the collection cell with dry nitrogen; sending the exhaust gas collected in the collection cell to the gas detector through an outlet in the collection cell, wherein the liquid is water and the gas detector is a non-dispersive infrared sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the gas that is detected is carbon dioxide. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the gas that is detected is one of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and methane. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 further comprising: logging data output from the gas detector to a memory device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 further comprising: draining excess water from the collection cell when the level of liquid is over a predetermined level. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the exhaust gas is collected from the cathode and further comprising: establishing a base line of the gas to be detected after supplying the humidified nitrogen to the cathode and prior to cycling the fuel cell. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the gas detected is carbon dioxide and further comprising: calculating the percentage of catalyst degradation from an amount of carbon dioxide detected by the gas detector in the exhaust gas. ### Claim 18 A method of detecting fuel cell catalyst degradation in-situ comprising: supplying humidified hydrogen to an anode of a fuel cell; supplying humidified nitrogen to a cathode of the fuel cell; sparging water in a collection cell with dry nitrogen; cycling the cell potential to simulate start-stop operation of the fuel cell; collecting exhaust gas from the fuel cell in the collection cell having a level of the water; and sending the exhaust gas collected in the collection cell to a gas detector through an outlet in the collection cell. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein the gas detector is a non-dispersive infrared sensor and further comprising: establishing a base line of the gas to be detected after supplying the humidified nitrogen to the cathode and prior to cycling the fuel cell. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the gas to be detected is carbon dioxide. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20 further comprising: calculating catalyst degradation from an amount of carbon dioxide detected in the exhaust gas by the non-dispersive infrared sensor.