Participation at the European PhD Hydrogen Conference (EPHyC), Trieste 2025

28.04.2025

Maximilian Käfer presented his research at the European PhD Hydrogen Conference, held from April 9 – 11, 2025 in Trieste, Italy. The conference gathered PhD students from across Europe to exchange knowledge on hydrogen technologies, from production to storage and end-use applications.

Maximilian’s talk, titled “Developing Sensing Mechanisms for Over-Humidification Detection in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells”, focused on real-time detection of over-humidification issues in fuel cells, a key factor affecting performance and durability. His work introduced capacitive sensing solutions based on polyimide substrates with interdigitated electrodes to monitor water droplet formation in the gas path. Results demonstrated fast response and recovery times (< 20 s) with an accuracy of +/- 4%, offering a promising path toward enhanced water management strategies in fuel cell systems.

The conference also featured insightful keynote speeches, sponsor sessions, and a site-visit, encouraging collaboration and innovation in the hydrogen community.