Development of Sensors for Automotive Fuel Cell Systems

The team assembled for this project will perform the following tasks: 1. Obtain representative samples of physical parameter sensors currently available to meet the targets specified in the fuel cells section of the Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program (HFCIT) Multi-Year R,D&D Plan (MYP). 2. Design and construct a facility for testing physical and chemical sensors under simulated reformer exit conditions. 3. Determine the suitability of state-of-the-art physical parameter sensors for the extreme environment of a PEM fuel cell power plant by testing them in a combination of laboratory and simulated fuel cell flow stream environments. 4. Assist the sensor manufacturers, where necessary, to modify their sensors to achieve the requisite performance and durability goals. 5. Modify baseline chemical sensing technologies to create sensors capable of measuring the gas concentrations listed in the HFCIT Multi-Year R,D&D Plan while operating in a PEM fuel cell environment. 6. Validate and document the performance and durability of the developed sensors by exposing them to a combination of laboratory and simulated fuel cell flow stream environments. 7. Install the developed sensors on a PEM fuel cell at UTC Fuel Cells (UTCFC) for final testing.