TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The electrochemical cell (C1) further comprises: a third seal defining a low pressure zone configured to contain a third fluid within the low pressure zone, where the second seal is configured to leak the second fluid into the low pressure zone when the second seal unseats; and a pair of ancillary seals located outside the first seal and inside the second seal, where the pair of ancillary seals defines two ancillary high pressure zones in fluid communication with the high pressure zone. In the electrochemical cell (C1): the first seal is contained within the second seal, and the second seal is contained with the third seal; the first fluid is at a higher pressure than the second fluid, and the second fluid is at a higher pressure than the third fluid; the first seal, the second seal and the third seal have a generally rectangular cross-section; a thickness of the third seal is greater than the second seal, and the thickness of the second seal is greater than the first seal; the first fluid is high pressure hydrogen, the second fluid is lower pressure hydrogen, and the third fluid is coolant fluid; the third fluid is nitrogen, where the low pressure zone includes a nitrogen blanket surrounding the electrochemical cell configured to detect a leakage of at least one of the first fluid or the second fluid from within the electrochemical cell; the pressure of the third fluid is monitored and a rise in the pressure indicates an unseating of at least the second seal, where the electrochemical cell is configured to shut down before the third fluid reaches a pressure at which the third seal unseats; the first seal, the second seal and the third seal within the pair of bipolar plates are configured to remain seated, and prevent the leaking of the first fluid, second fluid and third fluid, when a closing force being applied to the pair of bipolar plates is greater than the opening force within the pair of bipolar plates; the first seal is configured to unseat before the second seal or the third seal causing the first fluid to leak past the first seal into the intermediate pressure zone when a closing force applied to the pair of bipolar plates approaches an opening force within the pair of bipolar plates, which causes a first separation of the pair of bipolar plates; the second seal is configured to unseat causing the second fluid to leak past the second seal into the low pressure zone, when the closing force further approaches the opening force causing a second separation of the pair of bipolar plates; the first fluid that leaks into the intermediate pressure zone combines with the second fluid, and is recycled, and the second fluid that leaks into the low pressure zone combines with the third fluid and flows out of the electrochemical cell and is reclaimed; and at least one of the bipolar plates includes many components and utilizes a cascade seal configuration between the components. In the electrochemical cell (C2): the first configuration provides no leakage of fluid between the high pressure zone, the intermediate pressure zone and the low pressure zone; the second configuration provides leakage of a portion of the first fluid from the high pressure zone to the intermediate pressure zone; the third configuration provides leakage of a portion of first fluid from the high pressure zone to the intermediate pressure zone, and leakage of a portion of second fluid from the intermediate pressure zone to the low pressure zone; and the high pressure zone is contained within the intermediate pressure zone and the intermediate pressure zone is contained within the low pressure zone. The electrochemical cell (C2) further comprises: a hydrogen reclamation apparatus in fluid communication with the low pressure zone of the electrochemical cell, where the hydrogen reclamation apparatus is configured to reclaim the portion of second fluid leaked into the low pressure zone, and reintroduce the reclaimed second fluid into the intermediate pressure zone of the electrochemical cell, and the pressure of the third fluid in the low pressure zone is monitored, and a rise in the pressure of the third fluid engages the hydrogen reclamation apparatus; and a first seal configured to contain the first fluid in the high pressure zone, a second seal configured to contain the second fluid in the intermediate pressure zone, and a third seal configured to contain the third fluid in the low pressure zone.