Abstract: Disclosed are a method for manufacturing a polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cells in which a plurality of porous reinforcement films and ionomer layers are continuously disposed or stacked, and a polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cells manufactured thereby. The polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cells includes the porous reinforcement films, thus having excellent mechanical stiffness and improved physical durability. Further, the polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cells includes an ionomer layer including a catalyst for decomposing peroxide configured to block gas crossover and may thus minimize performance degradation due to gas crossover and prevent an electrical short, and the polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cells makes it easy to adjust the position of the ionomer layer in the electrolyte membrane in the thickness direction and may thus effectively mitigate gas crossover.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell stack with enhanced freeze-thaw durability. In particular, the fuel cell stack includes a gas diffusion layer between a membrane-electrode assembly and a bipolar plate. The gas diffusion layer has a structure that reduces contact resistance in a fuel cell and is cut at a certain angle such that the machine direction (high stiffness direction) of GDL roll is not in parallel with the major flow field direction of the bipolar plate, resulting in an increased GDL stiffness in a width direction perpendicular to a major flow field direction of a bipolar plate.

Abstract: Provided are a method for predicting a mortality risk or a sepsis risk, implemented by a processor, to predict an emergency situation, and a device using the same. The method for predicting a mortality risk or a sepsis risk includes: receiving biological signal data for a subject from a biological signal prediction device; generating a risk sequence for the subject based on the biological signal data, by using a risk sequence generation model configured to generate a risk sequence based on the biological signal data; and predicting a risk for the subject based on the risk sequence.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting leakage in a hydrogen tank of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle are provided. Particularly, leakage is detected due to failure of an airtight seal of a solenoid valve in a hydrogen tank based on a change of the sensing value of a high pressure sensor which represents a hydrogen tank pressure during a process of performing a wakeup operation at the time of key-off of a vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention provides a porous medium with increased hydrophobicity and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a micro-nano dual structure is provided by forming nanoprotrusions with a high aspect ratio by performing plasma etching on the surface of a porous medium with a micrometer-scale surface roughness and a hydrophobic thin film is deposited on the surface of the micro-nano dual structure, thus significantly increasing hydrophobicity. When this highly hydrophobic porous medium is used as a gas diffusion layer of a fuel cell, it is possible to efficiently discharge water produced during electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell, thus preventing flooding in the fuel cell. Moreover, it is possible to sufficiently supply reactant gases such as hydrogen and air (oxygen) to a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), thus improving the performance of the fuel cell.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting leakage in a hydrogen tank of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle are provided. Particularly, leakage is detected due to failure of an airtight seal of a solenoid valve in a hydrogen tank based on a change of the sensing value of a high pressure sensor which represents a hydrogen tank pressure during a process of performing a wakeup operation at the time of key-off of a vehicle.

Abstract: A safety apparatus uses a fuel cell and a high voltage battery as a power source, and includes: a first voltage sensor that measures a voltage of a positive side of a voltage bus; a second voltage sensor that measures a voltage of a negative side of the voltage bus; and a controller that determines an electrical insulation between the positive side of the voltage bus and the electrical chassis based on the voltage of the positive side of the voltage bus and determines an electrical insulation between the negative side of the voltage bus and the electrical chassis based on the voltage of the negative side of the voltage bus.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting leakage in a hydrogen tank of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle are provided. Particularly, leakage is detected due to failure of an airtight seal of a solenoid valve in a hydrogen tank based on a change of the sensing value of a high pressure sensor which represents a hydrogen tank pressure during a process of performing a wakeup operation at the time of key-off of a vehicle.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes an air supply unit for supplying air containing oxygen to a fuel cell stack. A humidifier humidifies the supplied air. An air supply line is connected between a cathode inlet of the fuel cell stack and the humidifier to supply the humidified air to the fuel cell stack. A cathode-side exhaust line is connected between a cathode outlet of the fuel cell stack and the humidifier to supply a cathode exhaust gas discharged from a cathode of the fuel cell stack to the humidifier for humidification in the humidifier. A unified valve module includes a bypass line connected between the air supply line and the cathode-side exhaust line and an outward discharge port discharging the cathode exhaust gas to outside, and controls a gas flow between the humidifier and the fuel cell stack and between the bypass line and the outward discharge port.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and a method of controlling the fuel cell system are provided. The fuel cell system includes at least one bypass valve that is disposed between a passage in an inlet of a fuel cell stack and a bypass passage that is branched from the passage within the inlet and that is connected to a discharge port of the fuel cell stack. In addition, a controller bypasses air supplied from an air blower to the discharge port by adjusting an opening degree of the bypass valve.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel cell with enhanced mass transfer characteristics in which a highly hydrophobic porous medium, which is prepared by forming a micro-nano dual structure in which nanometer-scale protrusions with a high aspect ratio are formed on the surface of a porous medium with a micrometer-scale roughness by plasma etching and then by depositing a hydrophobic thin film thereon, is used as a gas diffusion layer, thereby increasing hydrophobicity due to the micro-nano dual structure and the hydrophobic thin film. When this highly hydrophobic porous medium is used as a gas diffusion layer for a fuel cell, it is possible to reduce water flooding by efficiently discharging water produced by an electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell and to improve the performance of the fuel cell by facilitating the supply of reactant gases such as hydrogen and air (oxygen) to a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA).

Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell stack with enhanced freeze-thaw durability. In particular, the fuel cell stack includes a gas diffusion layer between a membrane-electrode assembly and a bipolar plate. The gas diffusion layer has a structure that reduces contact resistance in a fuel cell and is cut at a certain angle such that the machine direction (high stiffness direction) of GDL roll is not in parallel with the major flow field direction of the bipolar plate, resulting in an increased GDL stiffness in a width direction perpendicular to a major flow field direction of a bipolar plate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell separator with a gasket manufactured by integrally forming a gasket on one side of a separator; independently injection molding a frame gasket on a frame such that a first airtight portion covers the entire surface of the frame to maintain the shape of the frame gasket and a second airtight portion projects upward and downward from both ends of the first airtight portion; and bringing the first airtight portion of the frame gasket into contact with the other side of the separator with the gasket formed on one side thereof. To create a fuel cell stack in certain embodiments, the invention stacks the second airtight portion of the frame gasket on another second airtight portion of an adjacent unit cell with a membrane-electrode assembly interposed therebetween.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting leakage in a hydrogen tank of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle are provided. Particularly, leakage is detected due to failure of an airtight seal of a solenoid valve in a hydrogen tank based on a change of the sensing value of a high pressure sensor which represents a hydrogen tank pressure during a process of performing a wakeup operation at the time of key-off of a vehicle.

Abstract: Disclosed is a manifold block for a fuel cell, which provides excellent electrical insulation for a coolant flow channel in an internal flow channel. More specifically, a manifold block for a fuel cell stack, includes a coolant interface formed of a polymer insulating material and coolant flow channels; and a reactant gas interface formed of a metal material and including reactant gas flow channels. In particular, the reactant and coolant interfaces are mounted to a stack module and, at the same time, are integrally bonded to each other.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes an air supply unit for supplying air containing oxygen to a fuel cell stack. A humidifier humidifies the supplied air. An air supply line is connected between a cathode inlet of the fuel cell stack and the humidifier to supply the humidified air to the fuel cell stack. A cathode-side exhaust line is connected between a cathode outlet of the fuel cell stack and the humidifier to supply a cathode exhaust gas discharged from a cathode of the fuel cell stack to the humidifier for humidification in the humidifier. A unified valve module includes a bypass line connected between the air supply line and the cathode-side exhaust line and an outward discharge port discharging the cathode exhaust gas to outside, and controls a gas flow between the humidifier and the fuel cell stack and between the bypass line and the outward discharge port.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus using a power transistor in a fuel cell stack diagnostic system provides an apparatus using a power transistor in a fuel cell stack diagnostic system. The apparatus includes a regenerative braking detector that detects regenerative braking of a fuel cell vehicle equipped with a fuel cell stack diagnostic system; a voltage rise determiner that determines whether a voltage rise due to regenerative braking of a fuel cell vehicle is a predetermined value or more; and a power transistor controller that controls an AC signal generator so that the voltage due to the regenerative braking is discharged by the power transistor, when the voltage rise due to regenerative braking determined by the voltage rise determiner is a predetermined value or more.

Abstract: A failure diagnosis apparatus that includes an alternating current (AC) absorption unit that is connected to the fuel cell stack and switched based on an applied AC signal to enable a current from the fuel cell stack to flow. In addition, an AC signal generator is configured to generate the AC signal and supply the generated AC signal to the AC absorption unit. As the current from the fuel cell stack is absorbed by the AC absorption unit based on an alternating signal, a stack current input into a diagnosis processing unit includes an AC component, thus the diagnosis processing unit may diagnose fuel cell stack failure by analyzing a frequency of the AC component.

Abstract: A diagnostic system and method for a fuel cell stack that diagnoses the state and/or failure of the fuel cell stack. More specifically, the diagnostic control analyzer diagnoses and analyzes the state of the fuel cell stack by measuring the voltage and the current received from the fuel cell stack. To do this, an AC signal generator cogenerates a diagnostic AC signal according to the control upon receiving a control command form the analyzer, and an AC component driving element is then driven upon receiving the AC signal that is output from the AC signal generator in order to include a diagnostic AC component within the current of the fuel cell stack. In particular, the diagnostic control analyzer diagnoses the fuel cell stack based on a voltage and a current received from the fuel cell stack that includes the AC component via a load.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel cell separator and a method for surface treatment of the same, in which ionized nanoparticles are attached to the surface of a separator to form fine projections such that the surface of the separator exhibits superhydrophobicity. For this purpose, the present invention provides a method for surface treatment of a fuel cell separator which provides nanoparticles for forming fine projections on the surface of the separator to a discharge electrode and ionizes the nanoparticles by an arc discharge generated in the discharge electrode. The ionized nanoparticles are then attached to the surface of the separator by an electric field generated by applying a high voltage between the separator and the discharge electrode, thereby forming fine projections for imparting superhydrophobicity.