Material Solutions to Increase Tank-to-Wheel Efficiency and Life-Time Reliability of Fuel Cells Vehicles

Authors

Dipl.-Ing. Y. Bin, Dr. T. P. Sidiki, Dr. R. R. Janssen, DSM Engineering Materials, Geleen:

Year

2021

Print Info

Production/Publication ÖVK

Summary

Material solutions to increase tank-to-wheel efficiency and life-time reliability of fuel cells vehicles
Fuel cell technology is an important contributor to zero emissions in transportation. The fuel cell stack, as the heart of the fuel cell engine, is an electrical chemical device. Due to its working mechanism and working condition, ions which would leach out of the materials used in the fuel cell can cause catastrophic consequences, such as poisoning of the catalyst, clogging of the membrane and decreasing system insulation levels. Such ions can also accelerate the corrosion of the metallic bi-polar plates. Moreover, hydrolytic degradation of the plastic components can result in mechanical deterioration and dimensional creep, which put the system’s robustness and media sealing performance at risk. In this presentation we will present latest results on the impact of such ion leaching and how dedicated material developments can not only lead to the lowest ion leaching, but additionally also achieve high mechanical retention and weld line strength amongst all engineering materials. As a result, the challenging reliability and efficiency requirements of fuel cell operation also over 20,000 hours life-time can be achieved.

Number of pages

17 Order