The International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association (IHFCA) Standardization Working Committee is pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of IHFCA Standard 2024-1: Rapid activation method for proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks and evaluation of activation level.
Prepared by the IHFCA Standardization Working Committee and Working Group 1, with Tongji University and Dongfeng Motor Group Co., Ltd. serving as the lead organizations for this standard, this standard represents an important step in supporting the standardized, efficient, and scalable manufacturing of proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks. As fuel cell production continues to move toward larger-scale industrialization, traditional activation methods face increasing challenges in terms of production cost, cycle time, and process consistency. The new IHFCA Standard responds to this industry need by providing a unified technical framework for rapid activation and activation level evaluation.
The standard defines the rapid activation method and the evaluation method for the activation level of proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks. It applies to fuel cell stacks that have not undergone systematic previous operation, or whose performance has become unstable due to prolonged deactivation and therefore require specific procedures to restore and enhance performance.
The document sets out requirements for activation platforms, test conditions, activation procedures, data recording, and activation level assessment. It covers several activation methods, including hydrogen pump activation, oxygen-deficient activation, constant high-current activation, and load cycling activation. The standard also provides a calculation method for evaluating the degree of activation, supporting consistent assessment of whether a fuel cell stack has been sufficiently activated.
The publication of this standard is expected to provide enterprises and relevant stakeholders with a unified technical reference for the rapid activation and activation level evaluation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks. By clarifying activation procedures, platform requirements, test conditions, data recording methods, and evaluation criteria, the standard will help improve process consistency, reduce uncertainty in industrial production, support quality control and performance verification, and enhance communication among stack manufacturers, system integrators, testing institutions, and end users. It will also contribute to improving production efficiency and promoting the standardized, reliable, and scalable development of the fuel cell industry.
The forthcoming publication of this standard reflects IHFCA’s continued commitment to advancing international cooperation, technical harmonization, and standards development in the hydrogen and fuel cell sector. IHFCA will continue to work with global stakeholders to promote high-quality standards that support industrial innovation, safety, efficiency, and the sustainable development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.