hydrogen and fuel cell
2 8
AVL CRUISE™ M supports
the development of PEM fuel cell
system cold start strategies
Tackling PEM Fuel
Cell Freeze Start
Challenges with
System Simulation
Alongside electricity and heat, the only by-product of the PEM fuel
cell is water. However, this water can become a challlenge when it comes
to temperatures below zero degrees Celsius, as it can freeze within the
membrane and reaction layers of the cell, causing damage to this complex
and delicate system.
To tackle this challenge, any new PEM fuel cell integration will require a
cold-start strategy that is appropriate to the design of the system, in order
to avoid ice formation during system start-up. Generally, the heat produced
by the processes within the fuel cell can be sufficient to melt any ice, but
cell stacks and components don’t warm up in a uniform way. So, if the sys-
tem doesn’t warm up fast enough or evenly enough, there may be a need
for additional heating or another method to prevent damage caused by the
freezing of liquid water.