For hydrogen fuel cell-powered heavy-duty vehicles to be an alternative to combustion-powered vehicles, more efficient and longer-lasting fuel cells are essential. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed an innovative method to study and understand how parts of fuel cells deteriorate over time. This is an important step towards improved fuel cell performance and their commercial success.
Hydrogen is a fuel alternative that is becoming increasingly interesting for heavy-duty vehicles. Hydrogen-powered vehicles emit only water vapor as exhaust, and when the hydrogen is produced using renewable energy, it is completely carbon dioxide-free. Unlike battery-powered electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles do not need to burden the power grid, as hydrogen can be produced and stored when electricity is cheap. Some hydrogen-powered vehicles are powered by what is known as a fuel cell. However, hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles are limited by a relatively short lifespan, as fuel cell components such as electrodes and membranes wear out over time. This is precisely the problem the current study addresses.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a new method to study what affects fuel cell aging by tracking a specific particle in the fuel cell during use. The research team studied an entire fuel cell by taking it apart at regular intervals. Using modern electron microscopes, they were then able to track how the cathode electrode wears down in specific areas during usage cycles. Previous studies have been carried out on so-called half cells, which resemble one half of a fuel cell (but are not the same) and are carried out under conditions that are significantly different from those of the real fuel cell.
Better understanding through new experimental method
“It was previously assumed that dismantling and examining the fuel cell in our way would affect performance, but surprisingly it turned out that this assumption is not true,” says research leader Björn Wickman, associate professor at the Department of Physics at Chalmers.
Chalmers researchers have succeeded in studying how the material in the fuel cell decomposes at the nano and micro level and determining exactly when and where the decomposition takes place. This provides valuable information for the development of new and improved fuel cells with longer lifetimes.
“While we previously only studied how the fuel cell aged after use, we were now able to look into the middle stage,” says PhD student Linnéa Strandberg from Chalmers. “The ability to track a single, selected particle in a specific area has given us a much better understanding of the degradation processes. Better knowledge of this is an important step towards developing new materials for fuel cells or adapting the control of the fuel cell.”
New method paves the way for longer-lasting fuel cells
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has indicated that improved fuel cell durability is one of the most important goals before fuel cell-powered hydrogen vehicles can become commercially successful. According to the industry, a truck must survive 20,000 to 30,000 hours of driving over its lifetime, which a fuel cell-powered hydrogen truck cannot achieve today.
“We have now laid a foundation for the development of better fuel cells. We now know more about the processes that take place in the fuel cell and at what point in the life of the fuel cell they occur. In the future, the method will be used to develop and investigate new materials that can give the fuel cell a longer life,” says Björn Wickman.
Facts: How a fuel cell works
The core of a fuel cell consists of three active layers, two electrodes – anode and cathode – and an ion-conducting membrane in the middle. Each individual cell delivers a voltage of about 1 volt. The electrodes contain catalyst material and are mixed with hydrogen and oxygen. The resulting electrochemical process produces clean water and electricity that can be used to power a vehicle.
More about research:
The research group at Chalmers University that developed the method consists of PhD student Linnéa Strandberg and Associate Professor Björn Wickman, both at the Department of Physics, Victor Shokhen, former postdoc at the Department of Physics, and Magnus Skoglundh, Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.
The research was presented in three different scientific articles:
This project was financially supported by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research and the Swedish Research Council and carried out at the Competence Centre for Catalysis, located at Chalmers University of Technology, with financial support from the Swedish Energy Agency and member companies Johnson Matthey, Perstorp, Powercell, Preem, Scania CV, Umicore and Volvo Group.
Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were performed at the Chalmers Materials Analysis Laboratory (CMAL).
For further information please contact:
Linnéa Strandberg, PhD student, Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, [email protected]
Björn Wickman, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, [email protected] +46 31 772 51 79
Emma FryPress Officer+46 31 772 50 [email protected]
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