Fuel cells are a promising, environmentally friendly alternative to combustion engines. They generate electrical energy through the electrochemical conversion of hydrogen and oxygen (usually from the air) into water. For high-performance applications, the fuel cells must achieve an exceptional service life of >25,000 hours. However, extreme conditions such as high temperatures and low humidity lead to increased degradation, which limits their service life and leads to failures.
Fuel Cell-Stack
PEM fuel cell stack developed at DLR with metallic bipolar plates for lightweight applications
One clear area of application in which hydrogen-powered fuel cells are superior to batteries is heavy goods transport with long ranges and heavy payloads. The advantages of electric propulsion based on fuel cells are the fast refuelling and the large amount of energy with relatively low weight, which enables long ranges. Fuel cells are therefore a key technology for the decarbonisation of heavy goods transport. However, heavy-duty transport covers a wide range of applications, including lorries, ships, trains and aircraft. These applications require different fuel cell outputs in the range of 300 - 1500 kW and have very different requirements in terms of operating conditions and the system. One common requirement is an exceptionally long service life of >25,000 operating hours.
Expertise
Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFC) allow dynamic operation and high power densities without emitting harmful greenhouse gases. The use of these fuel cells is therefore being investigated in a variety of applications such as heavy-duty applications (lorries, trains, ships, aircraft) and stationary applications (combined heat and power).
Even though significant progress has already been made in the field of PEM fuel cells in terms of cost, service life and power density, further technological solutions are still required for the demanding applications in transport and energy supply. Commercialisation is significantly hindered by the limited service life caused by numerous chemical and physical degradation mechanisms.
XPS system for analysing materials and components of electrochemical energy converters
Understanding MEA performance and durability limitations through characterisation and modelling
FSP is a versatile, resource-saving gas phase synthesis technique for the rapid production of complex supported catalysts in a single step. Continuous material production enables batches in mg to kg sizes without adjusting the process parameters.
