Dr Bruno G. Pollet – [email protected]@bham.ac.uk Science City Hydrogen Energy away.

Dr Bruno G. Pollet – [email protected]

www.fuelcells.bham.ac.ukwww.hydrogen-wm-scratch.info

Science City Hydrogen Energy away day, 22nd January 2010, HRI

DOCTORAL TRAINING CENTRE in HYDROGEN, FUEL CELLS & THEIR

APPLICATIONS

EPSRC = £5.5M

• 9 year programme• 50 PhD students• 4 year PhD• 120 credits (modules) + dissertation• Using existing modules and new modules•13 PhD students currently registered• PhD projects covering Hydrogen generation, Hydrogen storage, Fuel Cell and system integration• Next interview date: 14th /15th April

What is a Fuel Cell?

A Fuel Cell is an electrochemical “device” that continuously converts chemical energy into electrical energy for as long as the reactants

(fuel and oxidant) are supplied

What is an MEA?

Flow Field Plate (FFP)

Gas diffusion layer(GDL) and catalyst layer (CL)

[Pt/C ‘ink’]

Proton exchange Membrane (PEM)

e.g. Nafion MEA thickness1 mm max.; GDL 330um; PEM 50um; CL 10-30um

Objectives for Improved PEMFC Performance

Decrease in Pt loading due to high cost of Pt down to 0.05 mg.cm-2 (A&C) for a 50kW stack

Smaller active layer for better diffusion & less ohmic drop

Increase in catalyst surface area i.e. decrease Pt size e.g. < 10nm (2 – 4nm)

Low-cost, high-performance & durable ‘engineered’ materials for low-temperature and high-temperature PEMFC in line with the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) technical targets;

Novel low cost materials with high performance & longevity for: current collector plate (CCP), bipolar plate (BPP), gas diffusion layer (GDL), catalyst layer (CL), electrocatalyst (EC) and proton exchange membrane (PEM)

Developing novel low cost fabrication methods & processes for such materials and MEAs (e.g. ultrasound & sonochemistry)

New test methods (ex-situ & in-situ diagnostic) development for determining physical properties, performance & durability of PEMFC

Improving electrocatalysts & noble base metal alloys, catalyst utilisation and electrode design

Developing & characterising non-noble (non-precious) nano-sized metal electrocatalysts in views of reducing cost while improving on performance and durability

PEMFC stack development, Balance of Plant (BoP) and system integration; and Developing, testing and commissioning low cost, high performance Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles (HFCHVs)

PEM Fuel Cell Research

PEM Fuel Cell Research projects•Modelling of Novel Tubular Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAS) for PEMFC applications – DTC Student

• Novel Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle for Transportation in the UK – DTC Student

• Low-cost High performance Membrane Electrode Assemblies for the Automotive sector – DTC Student

•Size-selected MoS_2 Nanoclusters for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production - – DTC Student

•Development of Low Cost High Performance Bipolar Plates for PEMFC Applications – EPSRC Case Student

• Development of Low Cost High Performance non-precious Electrocatalysts for PEMFC – EPSRC Student

•Development and Characterisation of Novel supports for Electrocatalysts – SF Student

• Development of low cost PEMFC stack – SF Student

Comparison of MEA Performancebetween anodes prepared by a) the galvanostatic pulse method in the absence of ultrasound [], b) the sono-galvanostatic pulse method (20 kHz, 29 W.cm-2) [] and c) conventional method (0.30 mg Pt cm-2 electrodes) []. The fuel cell testing parameters were H2/O2 (1.5/2 stoics), 70oC and 1 atm.

- Electrodes prepared sonoelectrochemically showed better performance

- A power density value of 98.5mW.cm-2 was found for anodes prepared sonoelectrochemically compared with 91.5mW.cm-2 (by galvanostatic pulse method alone) & 86mW.cm-2 (by conventional method),

- An increase of ca. 12mW.cm-2 was found using the sono-galvanostatic pulse method

* B.G. Pollet, A Novel Method for Preparing PEMFC Electrodes by the Ultrasonic and Sonoelectrochemical Techniques, Electrochem. Comm., 11, 2009, 1445

SEM StudySide ViewTop View

CL

CL

GDL

GDL

Silent

US

Production of NP Pt Ultrasonically

V. Zin, B.G. Pollet and M. Dabalà, Sonoelectrochemical (20 kHz) Production of Platinum Nanoparticles from Aqueous Solutions, Electrochim. Acta, 54(28), 2009 7201.

BGP’s Outputs for 2009 PBL Chaurasia, K. Kendall, W. Bujalski, S. Du and B.G. Pollet, Influence of Temperature on V-I characteristics for Solar Power Generation based on Chemical Method using Fuel Cell, International Journal of Chemical Sciences: 7(3), 2009, 1893-1904

B.G. Pollet, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Conference: For a Low Carbon Future, Platinum Metal Review, 53(2), 2009, 78.

V. Zin, B.G. Pollet and M. Dabalà, Sonoelectrochemical (20 kHz) Production of Platinum Nanoparticles from Aqueous Solutions, Electrochim. Acta, 54(28), 2009 7201.

B.G. Pollet, A Novel Method for Preparing PEMFC Electrodes by the Ultrasonic and Sonoelectrochemical Techniques, Electrochem. Comm., 11, 2009, 1445

K. Kendall, B.G. Pollet, A. Dhir, I. Staffell, B Millington and J. Jostins, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hydrid Vehicles For Birmingham Campus, J. of Power Sources, accepted December 2009.

S. Gouws, N. Gojela, B.G. Pollet and B. Zeelie, Hydrogen Production from Water Electrolysis, Grove Fuel Cell Symposium, London, UK 22- 24 September 2009.

J. Shang, B.G. Pollet, K. Kendall, Novel Type of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hybrid Scooter, Grove Fuel Cell Symposium, London, UK 22- 24 September 2009.

B.G. Pollet and K. Kendall, The University of Birmingham Fleet of Zero Emission Hydrogen Powered Cars, GreenFleet magazine, 2009

B.G. Pollet, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies – An Overview, Sustainable Solutions magazine, 2009

BGP’s Outputs for 2009 DTC launch in November 2009 (hosted) TSB-Cenex event low carbon vehicle Exhibition '09 – dissemination in conference Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in Idaho Falls, USA – dissemination Ministries of Energy and Infrastructure, Research and Innovation and, Economic Development in Toronto (Ontario, Canada) – dissemination Sustainability Live 2009 Sustainability Live 2009 – dissemination in conference MoU with Ontario region & UoB – HFC activities MoU with University of Waterloo & School of Chemical Engineering MoU with University of Ontario Institute of Technology & School of Chemical Engineering In progress – MoU with National Fuel Cell Research Centre, USA