Advent Technologies Inc. specializes in developing and manufacturing High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HT-PEM) fuel cells, leading the innovation to clean and reusable energy. 

I was an integral member of the testing team, where I managed and executed key electrochemical testing procedures, including Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), to assess fuel cell and electrolyzer performance. I oversaw the operation of up to 30 testing stations simultaneously, ensuring accurate tracking of testing conditions, efficient supply management, and minimal downtime. I was responsible for diagnosing and performing repairs on test kits, stations, and electrolyzer systems to maintain continuous testing capabilities. 

My role also involved assembling Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) with a high degree of precision, following detailed protocols to ensure consistency and quality in testing outcomes. I contributed to the development of testing protocols by formulating custom recipes for new test parameters, optimizing them for various R&D objectives. In addition to technical responsibilities, I participated in weekly team meetings and delivered presentations summarizing test results and progress updates, supporting collaborative decision-making across the R&D team.

This study involved using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) to measure the weight change percentage of samples from MEA assemblies at various stages of testing. For this study, samples from an untested, beginning-of-life (BOL), lifetime, accelerated stress tested (AST), and a cyclic tested MEA were held at a high temperature for 5 days. 

The membrane contains acid to assist the proton exchange, which burns off in high temperatures, so theoretically, the weight change should represent the acid content left on the membrane (titration was not available for assessing acid content). The results were analyzed using Python, from which we were able to draw conclusions on how testing conditions affect acid concentration.