# US 2020/0403254 A1 · Method and device for forecasting service life and remaining life of fuel cell

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- Number: US 2020/0403254 A1
- Document ID: US20200403254A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/010,789
- Filed: 2020-09-02
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-27
- Assignees: Tsinghua University
- Applicants: Tsinghua University
- Inventors: Pucheng PEI; Xiaoning JIA; Dongfang CHEN; Ziyao WU; Peng REN; Shangwei HUANG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200403254A1

## CPC

- H01M 8/04223: during start-up or shut-down; Depolarisation or activation, e.g. purging; Means for short-circuiting defective fuel cells
- G01R 31/36: Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
- H01M 8/04537: Electric variables
- H01M 8/04552: {of the individual fuel cell}
- H01M 8/04582: {of the individual fuel cell}
- H01M 8/04858: Electric variables
- H01M 8/04992: characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence
- H01M 8/1011: Direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC], e.g. direct methanol fuel cells [DMFC]
- H01M 8/1246: the electrolyte consisting of oxides
- H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes}
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Disclosed are a method and device for forecasting the service life and remaining life of a fuel cell. The method comprises: determining an end of life on the basis of the attenuation percentage of the current or power of a fuel cell at a constant voltage, completing the activation of the fuel cell, measuring a first polarization curve of the fuel cell; when the fuel cell runs for a preset time, measuring the second polarization curve of the fuel cell; acquiring the voltage attenuation rate or a current attenuation time constant of the fuel cell, and acquiring the service life and remaining life of the fuel cell via a forecasting formula.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for forecasting a service life and remaining life of a fuel cell, comprising:
determining an endpoint of life according to an attenuation percentage of a current or a power of the fuel cell at a constant voltage, completing activation of the fuel cell, and then measuring a first polarization curve of the fuel cell;
measuring a second polarization curve of the fuel cell after the fuel cell runs for a preset time; and
acquiring a voltage attenuation rate or a current attenuation time constant of the fuel cell, and acquiring the service life and remaining life of the fuel cell through a forecasting formula.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, after acquiring the first polarization curve of the fuel cell, further comprising:
determining two different target points on the first polarization curve to correspond to different voltages and currents, respectively.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, after obtaining the second polarization curve of the fuel cell, further comprises:
determining two new target points on the second polarization curve according to the two different target points on the first polarization curve.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein the forecasting formula comprises:
t
a
=
V
r
-
V
a
A
t
s
=
t
L
-
t
a
t
L
=
t
a
·
XI
e
I
e
-
I
b
or


t
L
=
t
a
·
ln

(
1
-
X
)
ln

(
I
b

/

I
e
)
or


t
L
=
x


τ
,
τ
=
t
a
ln

(
I
e

/

I
b
)
,
where Vr is an average voltage of each fuel cell at one of the two different target points on the first polarization curve, in [V], Va is an average voltage of each fuel cell corresponding to Ir on the second polarization curve, in [V], A is a voltage attenuation rate at a constant current, in [V/h], Ie is a current density at the other one of the two different target points on the first polarization curve, in [A/cm2], Ib is a current density corresponding to a voltage Ve on the second polarization curve, in [A/cm2], X is a current attenuation percentage from the other one of the two different target points to the endpoint of life at a constant voltage, x is a time constant scale factor, τ is a current attenuation time constant at the voltage Ve, in [h], tL is a forecasted service life of the fuel cell, in [h], ta is a used time of the fuel cell, in [h], and ts is a forecasted remaining life of the fuel cell, in [h].

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell comprises a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, a direct methanol fuel cell and a solid oxide fuel cell.

### Claim 6

A device for forecasting a service life and remaining life of a fuel cell, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor;
wherein the processor is configured to:
determine an endpoint of life according to an attenuation percentage of a current or a power of the fuel cell at a constant voltage, completing activation of the fuel cell, and measuring a first polarization curve of the fuel cell;
measure a second polarization curve of the fuel cell after the fuel cell runs for a preset time; and
acquire a voltage attenuation rate or a current attenuation time constant of the fuel cell, and acquire the service life and remaining life of the fuel cell through a forecasting formula.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device according to claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine two different target points on the first polarization curve to correspond to different voltages and currents, respectively, after acquiring the first polarization curve of the fuel cell.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The device according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine two new target points on the second polarization curve according to the two different target points on the first polarization curve, after obtaining the second polarization curve of the fuel cell.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device according to claim 8, wherein the forecasting formula comprises:
t
a
=
V
r
-
V
a
A
t
s
=
t
L
-
t
a
t
L
=
t
a
·
XI
e
I
e
-
I
b
or


t
L
=
t
a
·
ln

(
1
-
X
)
ln

(
I
b

/

I
e
)
or


t
L
=
x


τ
,
τ
=
t
a
ln

(
I
e

/

I
b
)
,
where Vr is an average voltage of each fuel cell at one of the two different target points on the first polarization curve, in [V], Va is an average voltage of each fuel cell corresponding to Ir on the second polarization curve, in [V], A is a voltage attenuation rate at a constant current, in [V/h], Ie is a current density at the other one of the two different target points on the first polarization curve, in [A/cm2], Ib is a current density corresponding to a voltage Ve on the second polarization curve, in [A/cm2], X is a current attenuation percentage from the other one of the two different target points to the endpoint of life at a constant voltage, x is a time constant scale factor, τ is a current attenuation time constant at the voltage Ve, in [h], tL is a forecasted service life of the fuel cell, in [h], ta is a used time of the fuel cell, in [h], and ts is a forecasted remaining life of the fuel cell, in [h].

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The device according to claim 6, wherein the fuel cell comprises a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, a direct methanol fuel cell and a solid oxide fuel cell.

### Claim 11

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a processor of a terminal, causes the terminal to perform a method for forecasting a service life and a remaining life of a fuel cell, the method comprising:
determining an endpoint of life according to an attenuation percentage of a current or a power of the fuel cell at a constant voltage, completing activation of the fuel cell, and then measuring a first polarization curve of the fuel cell;
measuring a second polarization curve of the fuel cell after the fuel cell runs for a preset time; and
acquiring a voltage attenuation rate or a current attenuation time constant of the fuel cell, and acquiring the service life and remaining life of the fuel cell through a forecasting formula.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein after acquiring the first polarization curve of the fuel cell, the method further comprises:
determining two different target points on the first polarization curve to correspond to different voltages and currents, respectively.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12, wherein after obtaining the second polarization curve of the fuel cell, the method further comprises:
determining two new target points on the second polarization curve according to the two different target points on the first polarization curve.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the forecasting formula comprises:
t
a
=
V
r
-
V
a
A
t
s
=
t
L
-
t
a
t
L
=
t
a
·
XI
e
I
e
-
I
b
or


t
L
=
t
a
·
ln

(
1
-
X
)
ln

(
I
b

/

I
e
)
or


t
L
=
x


τ
,
τ
=
t
a
ln

(
I
e

/

I
b
)
,
where Vr is an average voltage of each fuel cell at one of the two different target points on the first polarization curve, in [V], Va is an average voltage of each fuel cell corresponding to Ir on the second polarization curve, in [V], A is a voltage attenuation rate at a constant current, in [V/h], Ie is a current density at the other one of the two different target points on the first polarization curve, in [A/cm2], Ib is a current density corresponding to a voltage Ve on the second polarization curve, in [A/cm2], X is a current attenuation percentage from the other one of the two different target points to the endpoint of life at a constant voltage, x is a time constant scale factor, τ is a current attenuation time constant at the voltage Ve, in [h], tL is a forecasted service life of the fuel cell, in [h], ta is a used time of the fuel cell, in [h], and ts is a forecasted remaining life of the fuel cell, in [h].

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the fuel cell comprises a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, a direct methanol fuel cell and a solid oxide fuel cell.