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Tuesday, December 8, 2009
8:00 Registration, Poster Setup, Coffee & Pastries
8:50 Organizer’s Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:00 Evaluation of Design, Materials and Operating Strategies Impact on Lifetime of Fuel Cells
Robert Alink, Abteilung Energietechnik, Fraunhofer Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE, Germany *
This paper will describe the methodology which will be used in a large, four year project “Lifetime prediction of fuel cells in real application” to be carried out by a group of German companies and research organizations from October 2009 onwards. Three different models will be developed and validated. The resulting tool will enable developers to evaluate the impact of changes in design, materials and operating strategies on the lifetime of fuel cells with complex user requirements.
*In collaboration with: Heinz Wenzl
9:30 Durability and Performance of the MEAs in the Commercial Fuel Cell Applications
Madeleine Odgaard, General Manager R&D, IRD Fuel Cells A/S, Denmark
The step from small-scale prototype manufacturing to real products for making fuel cells a commercial success is still a major challenge. IRD is pursuing this target in manufacturing of fuel cell components. IRD has acquired Cabot’s MEA manufacturing line to produce commercial MEA quantities. Technological advancements through well controlled production of reproducible and stable PEM and DMFC MEAs has been demonstrated. The presentation will include and discuss durability and performance of the MEAs in commercial fuel cell applications.
10:00 Analysis of Real World Fuel Cell Degradation
Jennifer Kurtz, Senior Research Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, on-road driving and refueling data from fuel cell vehicles, buses, and forklifts are analyzed to assess the technology status, progress, and to provide feedback to the research and development community. One of these analyses focuses on fuel cell degradation. The study includes following the fuel cell performance degradation trends, differing degradation rates within a fleet, and explores correlations between the real world data and fuel cell degradation. Included will be a description of our analysis methods, latest results, and what correlations can be made to lab durability data.
10:30 Networking Refreshment Break, Poster Viewing
11:00 The Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Program
Nancy L. Garland, PhD, Technology Development Manager, Fuel Cell Technologies Program, U.S. Department of Energy
To enable the widespread commercialization of fuel cells, the Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Program supports applied R&D to overcome technical barriers and reduce institutional and market barriers. A key objective is to make fuel cells competitive with incumbent technologies and other advanced technologies in terms of lifecycle cost, performance, and market acceptance. New fuel cell projects aimed at achieving these objectives will be described.
11:30 A Viable Commercial Pathway toward Packaged PEM Electrolyzers
Katherine Ayers, PhD, Director of Research, Proton Energy Systems
A major consideration in PEM fuel cell applications such as vehicle fueling is the hydrogen source. This talk will describe recent work establishing a viable commercial pathway toward packaged PEM electrolyzers of 65 H2/day capacity. Efficiency in cell stack operating voltage, power conversion, product gas drying, and balance of plant thermal conditioning are the focus of the new platform development. Details of MEA improvements will be presented in this talk.
12:00 Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Electrode Durability
Eugene S. Smotkin, PhD, Chairman, NuVant Systems; and
Professor of Materials Chemistry, Northeastern University
Catalyst coated membrane (CCM) electrode assemblies for direct methanol fuel cells have been subjected to lifetime studies over periods exceeding 1000 hours of continuous operation at 100 mA/cm2. Beginning- and end-of-life performance curves, FTIR, SEM and CO stripping voltammetry (from both methanol and CO) data will be discussed. A video demonstration of the method used for preparation of the CCM MEAs, subjected to lifetime studies, will be shown after discussion of lifetime results.
12:30 Luncheon Sponsored by the Knowledge Foundation Technology Commercialization Alliance
Membership Program
2:00 Development of Durable Cathode Catalysts for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells at University of South Carolina
Branko N. Popov, PhD, Carolina Distinguished Professor, Director, Center for Electrochemical Engineering, Dept of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina*
Corrosion resistant nitrogen modified carbon composite (NMCC) and non-carbon metal oxide (MO) were synthesized as catalyst supports and nanoparticles of Pt, Pt-Co, Pd/Pt-Co catalysts were deposited by the procedures developed at University of South Carolina. The fuel cell accelerated stress test (AST) for supports and catalysts demonstrated that the Pt3Pd1/NMCC, Pt/NMCC and Pt/MO hybrid catalysts possess much higher stability than the commercial Pt/C catalyst in PEM fuel cells. The stability and durability of these catalysts are discussed.
*In collaboration with: Shengyang Huang, Xuguang Li, Gang Liu, Prabhu Ganesan
2:30 Durability Evaluation and Analysis of MEA with Very Low Platinum Loading
Sylvie Escribano, PhD, PEM Components Laboratory, DRT/LITEN/DTH/LCPEM, CEA - French Atomic Energy Commission, France*
Among CEA activities related to MEA understanding and development, durability of MEA containing very low platinum loadings has been evaluated in representative conditions. Specific anodes and cathodes have been developed to make MEAs able to reach 0.3 g/kW at maximum power in automotive conditions. Cycling tests have been conducted with diagnostics for degradation analysis. Up to 1000 hours of operation with limited performance degradation have been demonstrated with 150 - 200 µg Pt/cm2 cathodes and 20µg Pt/cm2 anodes.
*In collaboration with: Nicolas Bardi, Sébastien Donet
3:00 Green Energy Sources: Highly Efficient Fuel Cells Using Carbon Nanotubes
Sivaram Arepalli, PhD, Professor, Dept of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea
A strong possibility of fossil fuel supplies dwindling rapidly in the next few decades and the threat of global warming has prompted a worldwide research into renewable green energy sources. Fuel cells have been touted as a number one candidate in this category and among the diverse possible combinations, a simplistic PEM fuel cell stands to benefit from recent advances in the carbon nanotube (CNT) material development. It is to be noted that all the main components of PEM fuel cell including electrodes that form part of membrane electrode assembly (MEA), bipolar plates and gas diffusion layer (GDL) can be improved because of superior properties of CNT materials. The status of research in applying CNTs for better fuel cell performance will be presented and future directions for greener fuel cells will be discussed.
3:30 Networking Refreshment Break, Poster Viewing
4:00 Nanometer Range Gold Coated Stainless Steel for Automotive Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Bipolar Plate
Atul Kumar, Research Engineer, Ford Motor Company*
Ford Motor Company is currently developing metallic bipolar plate technology with thin gold-coated stainless steel (a.k.a. Au Nanoclad™) provided by Daido Steel. The use of nanometer range gold coating enables high electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance while least impact of cost of gold. Additionally, gold coated SS316L shows anodic passivation, thereby exhibiting robustness towards coating defects including surface scratches during the manufacturing of the bipolar plate. This presentation will include the ex-situ and in-situ testing data for this material.
*In collaboration with: Mark Ricketts, Shinichi Hirano
4:30 On-Line In-Situ Diagnostics of Process Gases Within PEM Fuel Cells by Raman Spectroscopy
Hans Bettermann, Prof Dr, Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Germany*
To investigate fuel cells in operation, a sensitive multiple-fibre Raman spectrometer was developed which has been designed to measure gases at selected sites inside the flow field meanders. The Raman spectroscopy enables the study of local consumption of process gases, local humidity, nitrogen and water condensation for deriving local parameters of normal and anomalous fuel cell operations. The spectral data are compared with data achieved by impedance spectroscopy and local current density measurements. The issue of this experimental approach is to monitor cell degradation.
*In collaboration with: Peter Fischer
5:00 Summary of Day One and Concluding Discussion
5:15 Oral Poster Highlights
5:30 End of Day One
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
8:15 Poster Viewing, Coffee and Pastries
9:00 Effect of Freezing/Thawing Cycles on the Performance of PEM Fuel Cells
Stefania Specchia, PhD, Assistant Professor of Chemical Plant Design, Politecnico di Torino, Dept of Materials Science & Chemical Engineering, Italy
For mobile applications, the performance of PEM-FCs should be maintained, particularly when employed also when exposed to freezing conditions. PEM-FCs performance was studied on single cell stacks at 70˚C and exposed to various freezing/thawing cycles (+70 / -10˚C). Various purging procedures were adopted to remove water from the stack prior freezing. The best adopted purging procedure allowed limiting the power output loss to less than 10% at the maximum power output.
9:30 Freeze and Shut-Down/Start-Up Related Degradation and Durability of PEMFC
Roger Lujan, Institute for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research, Fuel Cell Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory
The durability of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells is a major barrier to commercialization. Essential for transportation applications is the ability of a PEM fuel cell stack to shut-down and start-up reliably and repeatedly, including from sub-freezing temperatures. Recent research has included the effects of freeze/thaw cycling on MEA performance and mechanical strength. To examine the effects of low temperatures on fuel cell durability we have measured the effect of MEA and GDL structure and composition on the performance of single-PEM fuel cells operated isothermally at subfreezing temperatures. High-resolution neutron imaging performed on specially designed fuel cell hardware was also conducted to reveal the relative quantities and location of ice formation.
*In collaboration with: Rangachary Mukundan, John Davey and Rod Borup, LANL
10:00 Model Studies of Perfluorinated and Non-Fluorinated PEM Materials
David A. Schiraldi, PhD, Professor, Dept of Macromolecular Science & Engineering, Case Western Reserve University
Model studies of perfluorinated and non-fluorinated polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) materials degraded with peroxide under simulated fuel cell conditions provide important insights into how membranes are degraded in operating cells.
10:30 Networking Refreshment Break, Poster Viewing
11:00 Optimization and Durability of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Biao Zhou, PhD, Associate Professor, Dept of Mechanical, Automotive & Materials Engineering, University of Windsor, Canada
This presentation will introduce the state of the art of optimization tools for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC). These optimization tools developed by Dr. Zhou’s team can be used to deal with fluid dynamics, liquid water dynamics, electron dynamics, and thermodynamics. The talk will explain the fundamental mechanisms behind the failures of fuel cells through a multi-disciplinary point of view.
11:30 Numerical Modeling and Analysis of Micro-Porous Layer Effects in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells
Hyunchul Ju, PhD, Professor, Dept of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, Korea
A numerical MPL model is developed and embodied with comprehensive, multi-dimensional, multi-phase fuel cell models that were developed earlier to discover the exact roles of MPLs. The effects of different porous properties and liquid-entry pressures between an MPL and a gas diffusion layer (GDL) are examined via fully three-dimensional numerical simulations. This study provides a fundamental explanation for MPL functions and quantifies the influence of MPLís porous properties and the liquid-entry pressure on water transport and cell performance.
12:00 Networking Refreshment Break, Poster Viewing
12:30 Ovonic Alkaline Fuel Cell - High Performance at a Fraction of the Other Fuel Cells Cost
Rob Privette, Director, Product Development, Ovonic Fuel Cell Company, a subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices
Ovonic’s 5 kW alkaline fuel cell delivers competitive stationary fuel cell performance at a fraction of the cost of other fuel cells. Non-Platinum catalysts and proprietary metal hydride materials provide high stack power densities. Ovonic’s recent focus on high power stack durability has resulted in significant improvements that meet near term market requirements. This extended durability has been achieved through a combination of factors related to the electrode design which will be reviewed in this presentation.
1:00 Inorganic/Organic Composite Membranes for Low Temperature Fuel Cells
Uma Thanganathan, PhD, Research Core Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Japan
In recent years, there have been growing interests in developing fuel cell technologies for down-to-earth applications. Because of the high efficiency and almost zero emission to the environment, these fuel cells are finding applications in chemical process industries (CPI) as stand-alone or on-site power generators and in vehicular transport. The present state-of-art Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) technology is based on platinum (Pt) as a catalyst for both the fuel and air electrodes. Focus will be on recent developments in novel electrode processes, materials synthesis and characterization of various components, long term electrochemical performance and performance stability. In this investigation, we have observed the long term stability of new class of catalyst based on MEAs was shown to long time without significant performance losses at room temperature. Another task in our research is the development of polymer/ceramic based composite membranes for low temperature fuel cells. In future, to be improved will be the cell stability and performances by novel catalyst and proton conducting hybrid membranes in low temperature fuel cells.
1:30 A Transient Model for Optimizing the Automotive PEMFC Water Management
Agung Bakhtiar, Renewable Energy Laboratory, Pukyong National University, Korea
Drying the membrane could cause physical damage and too much water causes “flooding”, which reduces fuel cell performance. A transient PEMFC model has been developed to simulate the effect of realistic vehicle power profiles. The simulation result shows there are different liquid saturation water states on different vehicle power profiles. This result can be used as a consideration on water management parameter in order to optimize the performance and durability of dynamic load PEMFC as operating at road condition.
2:00 Summary, Concluding Discussion, End of Conference
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