Multichannel EIS characterization of high-power fuel cell stacks

We at Kolibrik.net develop electronic solutions for the field of hydrogen fuel cells. In the last decade, we have witnessed a growing demand for Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) characterization of high-power cells and stacks. High-current potentiostats and electronic loads for EIS analysis are already a very important part of our portfolio.

At the Hannover Messe, we would like to introduce our 3rd generation of solutions developed for simultaneous multi-channel EIS analysis of stacks with up to 1000 cells and a current capability of up to 2000 Amps. Power stage is designed for cooperation with an external DC load which can handle most of the stack power. This allows for testing of high-power stacks up to 200 - 300 kW. Maximum internal power dissipation of StackEIS-M system can be up to 20 kW. The key feature of this system is a simultaneous acquisition from each cell. Each channel is equipped with a best-in-class 24-bit analog-to-digital converter allowing a sampling rate of up to 2.5 Msps. All channels are sampled and processed simultaneously; therefore, the EIS analysis of all cells in a stack can be performed in a single scan. This is ideal for example for rapid and precise diagnostic during an end-of-line testing.