Perspective on the Development and Integration of Hydrogen Sensors for Fuel Cell Control

The measurement of hydrogen concentration in fuel cell systems is an important prerequisite for the development of a control strategy to enhance system performance, reduce purge losses and minimize fuel cell aging effects. In this perspective paper, the working principles of hydrogen sensors are ana...

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Main Authors: Michael Hauck, Christopher Bickmann, Annika Morgenstern, Nicolas Nagel, Christoph R. Meinecke, Alexander Schade, Rania Tafat, Lucas Viriato, Harald Kuhn, Georgeta Salvan, Daniel Schondelmaier, Tino Ullrich, Thomas von Unwerth, Stefan Streif
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Energies
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/20/5158
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author Michael Hauck
Christopher Bickmann
Annika Morgenstern
Nicolas Nagel
Christoph R. Meinecke
Alexander Schade
Rania Tafat
Lucas Viriato
Harald Kuhn
Georgeta Salvan
Daniel Schondelmaier
Tino Ullrich
Thomas von Unwerth
Stefan Streif
author_facet Michael Hauck
Christopher Bickmann
Annika Morgenstern
Nicolas Nagel
Christoph R. Meinecke
Alexander Schade
Rania Tafat
Lucas Viriato
Harald Kuhn
Georgeta Salvan
Daniel Schondelmaier
Tino Ullrich
Thomas von Unwerth
Stefan Streif
author_sort Michael Hauck
collection DOAJ
description The measurement of hydrogen concentration in fuel cell systems is an important prerequisite for the development of a control strategy to enhance system performance, reduce purge losses and minimize fuel cell aging effects. In this perspective paper, the working principles of hydrogen sensors are analyzed and their requirements for hydrogen control in fuel cell systems are critically discussed. The wide measurement range, absence of oxygen, high humidity and limited space turn out to be most limiting. A perspective on the development of hydrogen sensors based on palladium as a gas-sensitive metal and based on the organic magnetic field effect in organic light-emitting devices is presented. The design of a test chamber, where the sensor response can easily be analyzed under fuel cell-like conditions is proposed. This allows the generation of practical knowledge for further sensor development. The presented sensors could be integrated into the end plate to measure the hydrogen concentration at the anode in- and outlet. Further miniaturization is necessary to integrate them into the flow field of the fuel cell to avoid fuel starvation in each single cell. Compressed sensing methods are used for more efficient data analysis. By using a dynamical sensor model, control algorithms are applied with high frequency to control the hydrogen concentration, the purge process, and the recirculation pump.
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spelling doaj-art-48a9de2e359c4211a5d0d1f4aea8ec1e2025-08-20T02:11:12ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732024-10-011720515810.3390/en17205158Perspective on the Development and Integration of Hydrogen Sensors for Fuel Cell ControlMichael Hauck0Christopher Bickmann1Annika Morgenstern2Nicolas Nagel3Christoph R. Meinecke4Alexander Schade5Rania Tafat6Lucas Viriato7Harald Kuhn8Georgeta Salvan9Daniel Schondelmaier10Tino Ullrich11Thomas von Unwerth12Stefan Streif13Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyCenter for Micro and Nano Technologies, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyPhysics Department, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyDepartment of Mathematics, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyCenter for Micro and Nano Technologies, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyCenter for Micro and Nano Technologies, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyPhysics Department, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyDepartment of Physical Engineering/Computer Science, University of Applied Science Zwickau, Peter-Breuer-Straße 2, D-08056 Zwickau, GermanyPhysics Department, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Straße 70, D-09107 Chemnitz, GermanyThe measurement of hydrogen concentration in fuel cell systems is an important prerequisite for the development of a control strategy to enhance system performance, reduce purge losses and minimize fuel cell aging effects. In this perspective paper, the working principles of hydrogen sensors are analyzed and their requirements for hydrogen control in fuel cell systems are critically discussed. The wide measurement range, absence of oxygen, high humidity and limited space turn out to be most limiting. A perspective on the development of hydrogen sensors based on palladium as a gas-sensitive metal and based on the organic magnetic field effect in organic light-emitting devices is presented. The design of a test chamber, where the sensor response can easily be analyzed under fuel cell-like conditions is proposed. This allows the generation of practical knowledge for further sensor development. The presented sensors could be integrated into the end plate to measure the hydrogen concentration at the anode in- and outlet. Further miniaturization is necessary to integrate them into the flow field of the fuel cell to avoid fuel starvation in each single cell. Compressed sensing methods are used for more efficient data analysis. By using a dynamical sensor model, control algorithms are applied with high frequency to control the hydrogen concentration, the purge process, and the recirculation pump.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/20/5158fuel cellssensorshydrogen concentrationcontrol strategypurge processanode recirculation
spellingShingle Michael Hauck
Christopher Bickmann
Annika Morgenstern
Nicolas Nagel
Christoph R. Meinecke
Alexander Schade
Rania Tafat
Lucas Viriato
Harald Kuhn
Georgeta Salvan
Daniel Schondelmaier
Tino Ullrich
Thomas von Unwerth
Stefan Streif
Perspective on the Development and Integration of Hydrogen Sensors for Fuel Cell Control
Energies
fuel cells
sensors
hydrogen concentration
control strategy
purge process
anode recirculation
title Perspective on the Development and Integration of Hydrogen Sensors for Fuel Cell Control
title_full Perspective on the Development and Integration of Hydrogen Sensors for Fuel Cell Control
title_fullStr Perspective on the Development and Integration of Hydrogen Sensors for Fuel Cell Control
title_full_unstemmed Perspective on the Development and Integration of Hydrogen Sensors for Fuel Cell Control
title_short Perspective on the Development and Integration of Hydrogen Sensors for Fuel Cell Control
title_sort perspective on the development and integration of hydrogen sensors for fuel cell control
topic fuel cells
sensors
hydrogen concentration
control strategy
purge process
anode recirculation
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/20/5158
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