Fuel Cell Testing, Safety, Quality Assurance

The compilation of pre-existing, and further development of harmonised, test procedures applicable to fuel cells, stacks, and systems constitute the objectives addressed within FCTESTNET. The subsequent development step is the necessary validation and benchmarking of the findings of FCTESTNET. The currently proposed STREP project is, Fuel Cell Systems Testing, Safety and Quality Assurance (FCTESQA). The proposal especially addresses the aspects of pre-normative research, benchmarking, and validation through round robin testing of harmonised, industry-wide test protocols and testing methodologies. This activity will provide support for the essential pre-normative research efforts towards standardisation, thereby contributing to the early and market-oriented development of specifications and pre-standards. The progress beyond the state-of-the-art is that for the first time within the EU the internationally agreed harmonised test procedures (FCTESTNET results) will be validated through experimental campaigns. Test protocols will undergo benchmarking and round robin testing in different laboratories. FCTESQA results will be discussed, debated and agreed in co-operative progress meetings and dedicated international workshops under the IPHE auspices. In addressing the above-mentioned issues an International consortium from EU and INCO members has been established, based on the FCTESTNET structure.