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Virginia Tech

Development and Evaluation of a Test Apparatus for Fuel Cells

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The development of a test apparatus for proton exchange membrane fuel cells is presented. The design of the prototype device is provided in detail along with a description of the apparatus. The evaluation of the functionality and effectiveness of the device included measurement of a polarization curve for a 5-cell, 1 kW stack. An effective test apparatus is imperative for stack performance testing, model evaluation, and investigation of new fuel cell technology. This apparatus was designed to measure and control the mass flow rates of the reactant gases, gas pressures, gas temperatures, gas relative humidity, stack temperature, stack current, and the coolant water flow rate. Additionally, the test apparatus can measure the stack voltage, coolant water resistivity, coolant water temperature change across the stack, and the coolant water pressure drop across the stack. The apparatus was shown to provide adequate control of all necessary variables for stack performance evaluation.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Mechanical Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Mechanical Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2000

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Davis, Mark William
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Ellis, Michael W.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • von Spakovsky, Michael R.
  • Nelson, Douglas J.

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-07172000-08520055
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34037

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Davis, Mark William. Development and Evaluation of a Test Apparatus for Fuel Cells. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34037