"This test protocol and similar guidelines have an important role to play in reducing costs and accelerating commercialization," said Robert Rose, USFCC executive director. "In the short term, they will make 'comparison shopping' easier. Ultimately, they will lead to commodity pricing for basic fuel cell components."
The "Testing Protocol for Through-Plane Electrical Conductivity of Composite Bipolar Plates," is used to measure the electrical performance of separator plates for the purpose of material evaluation. The testing methodology was developed by the US Fuel Cell Council's Stack Materials & Components Working Group, in response to concerns that data sheets for composite bipolar plate materials provided electrical conductivity data measured using one of many different methodologies. The methodology of the USFCC Protocol includes pressure conditions, specimen characteristics and preparation, electrical parameters, and statistical analysis.
The Protocol has undergone round-robin testing by members of the Council's Stack Materials & Components Working Group. Results of the round-robin testing will be announced in a poster presentation by Eve Steigerwalt of Dana Corporation, at the Grove Fuel Cell Symposium in London. Eric Teather of Dupont Fuel Cells, chair of the Working Group, said "open standard protocols for fuel cell material evaluation will help reduce duplicate parallel effort by fuel cell integrators and is a needed step for accelerating fuel cell commercialization."
The USFCC is the trade association for the fuel cell industry, dedicated to fostering the commercialization of fuel cells in the United States. For more information on USFCC, check out our web site at www.usfcc.com.
