Problem:
Micropump assemblies were a major component of the fuel cell BOP to pump coolant through the fuel cell stack
Reliable pumps needed to be used, but there had been concerns about lifetime of the pump and possible failures
There were 3 existing test stands, but I needed to update their setup and install 3 more pumps to evaluate different pumps
Action:
Assembled coolant pump subassemblies and performed leak testing to check them
Routed tubing through several components to simulate the BOP of the fuel cell to create pump test conditions
Made cables for powering pumps and connecting flow and pressure sensors to a data acquisition unit (DAQ) for taking measurements
After successful installation, flow meters needed to be calibrated and pumps needed to be primed, then I was able to perform daily tests for lifetime evaluation
Results
Produced six coolant pump test stands equipped with different pump models and sensors to evaluate key parameters
Used DAQ software to monitor pump performance, troubleshoot any issues, and record lifetime data to evaluate performance over time