Patent ID: 8815457
Filing Date: 2014-08-26
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. Method for storing a fuel cell comprising at least one cell element provided with a membrane/electrode assembly wherein a membrane is situated between an anode and a cathode, wherein, after a first calibration phase of a reference membrane, the reference membrane being representative of a membrane used in the fuel cell to be stored, by nuclear magnetic resonance to obtain a first progression curve of the maximum water load of the membrane versus the membrane temperature, and a second calibration phase of a standard reference cell to obtain a second progression curve of the electrical resistance of the standard reference cell, the water load of its membrane and its temperature, the method comprises the following successive steps in each storage phase of the fuel cell for a given drying temperature: determination of a storage temperature, determination of a storage water load corresponding to the storage temperature from said first progression curve, determination of a drying resistance value of the fuel cell to be stored corresponding to the drying temperature and to the storage water load from said second progression curve, drying the fuel cell at the drying temperature until the electrical resistance at the terminals of the fuel cell to be stored is equal to said drying resistance value, cooling the fuel cell down to the storage temperature, storing the fuel cell at the storage temperature, wherein the second calibration phase comprises measurements of the electrical resistance of the standard reference cell for a plurality of different water load values and calibration temperatures, each resistance measurement comprising the following successive steps: thereby obtaining the second progression curve defining a relationship of the electrical resistance versus the storage temperature and the storage water load.