| Fuel Cells have a bright
and important future, highly efficient and suited to portable
power generation, batteries might soon be consigned to history.
Huge strides in fuel cell research have been made to bring
efficiency and more importantly cost effectiveness to consumer
level.
Accurately determining efficiency,
diagnosing potential problems, or quality control (QC) for fuel
cells can be undertaken by an electrochemical technique called
Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). EIS works by
outputting sine waves across a sweep of frequencies (µHz to KHz),
whilst at the same time measuring potential and galvanic response
sine waves, from which impedance and phase angle of the fuel cell
can be computed across a frequency range. Further mathematical
calculations give Z real and Z imaginary, plotted on a Nyquist
graph.
ACM are proud with the
technological advancement made in the field of EIS, with dedicated
Digital Signal Processor (DSP) electronics we are able to output a
Sine wave at 30KHz, whilst at the same time measure in the many
MHz (1,000,000 Hz and above), this leads to true data collection
(often manufacturers will sample at frequencies lower than the
sine frequency!!) which is collected over complete mains cycles,
this nullifies the effect that mains interference has on data
results. Interference not only can appear from mains, but also
from other modern hi-tech machinery, such as computer systems. All
ACM systems employ an optically isolated interface to the PC and
internal floating ground isolation.
Gill ACs are very suited to fuel
cell testing, many Gill ACs can be paralleled up from the same
computer to test multiple fuel cells. A preferred option for
economical testing is the Gill
8 a multi-channel sequential instrument.
High current and potentials can
utilized with a load, as described by
Battery
Engine.
Recommended Instrumentation
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