Fuel Cell Nation

New PNNL Catalyst

Jun Liu at the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has published a new paper titled Stabilization of Electrocatalytic Metal Nanoparticles at Metal-Metal Oxide-Graphene Triple Junction Points. A paperweight for platinum, a press release from PNNL, summarizes the cathode catalyst work.

Liu and co-workers synthesized indium tin oxide (ITO) on graphene, then added platinum to create a reportedly more stable, more active oxygen reduction catalyst. Both density functional theory (DFT) modeling on a supercomputer and electrochemical testing showed marked stability and activity improvements over the classic platinum on carbon catalyst, or even platinum on graphene. Fuel cell testing has not yet been completed.

This is important and interesting work that builds on the early research by Chhina et al, An oxidation-resistant indium tin oxide catalyst support for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Apparently by supporting the ITO/Pt particles on the graphene substrate, Liu is able to produce these activity and stability improvements. The interesting thing is that in his ongoing DOE-funded research program Development of Alternative and Durable High Performance, Cathode Supports for PEM Fuel Cells, Liu did not initially choose to research ITO as a catalyst support. It was only as his research progressed that he started testing ITO, leading to this new ternary catalyst!

Now we have to wait fuel cell test results! Unfortunately, too many catalysts have shown promise in preliminary tests, only to show problems and limitations during subsequent comprehensive tests. Good luck!

Smart New Membrane

It has been fun here at Giner Electrochemical Systems watching some smart people conceive of and develop a fundamentally different proton exchange membrane (PEM). This new Dimensionally Stable Membrane (DSM™) offers a marked improvement in mechanical properties over conventional PEM membranes like DuPont's Nafion^® 112.

Recently released U.S. Patent 7,867,669, Solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane comprising laser micromachined porous support describes a new Giner patent covering another aspect of its structure. In this patent, a perforated sheet of a strong engineering plastic has its holes filled with (for instance) a low equivalent-weight PEM material. Subsequently, different equivalent weight PEM is added to both sides of the central sheet. This composite DSM material shows stellar mechanical stability compared to the “gold-standard” DuPont Nafion 112 (Nafion) with a creep rate, as well as X-Y in-plane swelling at least one order of magnitude lower than Nafion.

This new material can be used in hydrogen fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC), electrolyzers, and for any application that uses PEM, to provide improved electrochemical performance. For instance, in 2008, Giner demonstrated DSM™ membrane on a 160 cm² active area cell that met the DOE’s electrolyzer performance targets for 2012.

Congratulations Han, Tony, Corky, Tom, and everyone else working on DSM!

7,867,669

Solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane comprising laser micromachined porous support

Mercedes Fuel Cell Vehicle PR Tour - Oops!

Image: © 2009 Daimler AG

Bloomberg has a story titled Mercedes 18,600-Mile Trip Parts With Daimler's Century of Strategy Shifts that describes the plans for three B-Class F-CELL cars to circumnavigate the globe. It involves 4 continents, 14 countries, and more than 20 stopovers with their fuel cell vehicles.

Each car includes:

• A fuel cell stack operating at 80 C
• A lithium-ion battery
• 700 bar (10,000 psi) compressed hydrogen storage
• A single front-drive motor

Cold-start capability is promised down to minus 25 degrees Celsius.

All is well until Bloomberg discusses that "Daimler, which packed fuel cells into the back of a delivery van to create the world’s first vehicle using that technology in 1994." I couldn't believe this, so I found the Mercedes press release Zero-emission vehicle sets off on automotive marathon: Starting shot fired for F-CELL World Drive. Somehow, a Mercedes flack says "Mercedes-Benz recognized this potential at an early stage, launching the first vehicle with fuel cell drive, the NECAR 1, as early as 1994." Mercedes, do some fact checking!

It is very easy to find multiple references to the 1966 GM Electrovan, the REAL first fuel cell vehicle. The Electrovan had 32 1 kilowatt alkaline fuel cell "modules," and had a peak power output of 160 kW. Luckily, it never got recycled, and is at the General Motors Heritage Center near Detroit.

First North American Fuel Cell Ship

(UVic Communications)

In a story titled Greener B.C. research ship to use fuel cells, the 1985-vintage Tsekoa II, once used by the Canadian Coast Guard, is discussed being transferred to the University of Victoria, along with its ongoing retrofit with an all-electric, hybrid drive. The propulsion system consists of:

• Batteries
• Hydrogen-air fuel cells and
• "Low-emission" diesel generators.

As such, the Tsekoa II will apparently become North America’s first hybrid fuel cell and plug-in hybrid ship. No word on the vendors supplying the battery and fuel cell systems, or even the battery type. If it is a Lithium-Ion battery, it will likely be one of the largest transportation-based installations in the world, because Kim Juniper, lead scientist on the project. is quoted as saying "When fully charged, the batteries can supply all the ship's power requirements for up to eight hours."

$22 million (CAN) is going to the power plant changeover. An additional $8.8 million (CAN) is going to to expand the Venus undersea observatory in the Strait of Georgia and Saanich Inlet.

So not only is this project developing a hybrid ship, but it involves hybrid funding sources and sinks: a variety of governmental and private sources are being pooled to fund both fuel cell and oceanography work!

Interesting Pizza Seminar

Myoungbae Lee, a postdoc at the Virginia Tech Department of Chemical Engineering (Jim McGrath's group), was recently at Giner to work with some of our specialized membrane characterization equipment. He made a presentation for us while he was here at one of our periodic Pizza Seminars, which expanded on Effects of block length and solution-casting conditions on the final morphology and properties of disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) multiblock copolymer films for proton exchange membranes.

We got to hear some of his latest results concerning details of his work with us on a DOE Fuel Cell project. The VT multiblock copolymer materials are a potential future source of low-cost proton exchange membrane (PEM). Though specifically addressing the effect of various (thermal and other) treatments on the properties of the VT membranes, it helped give us insight into other PEMs, including Nafion (today's baseline fuel cell membrane).

Hydrogen for 65,000 Feet

In 2003-2004 Giner Electrochemical Systems, LLC put me in charge of building a MATLAB/Simulink model that automatically optimized the design of a fuel cell-based power generation system for a stated 2-week high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) aircraft mission. NASA and other government agencies were convinced that an air-breathing, liquid hydrogen fueled engine would provide the lowest-weight HALE aircraft power plant. Accordingly, they hired us to determine the weight and volume of such a hydrogen-fueled proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell-based system. Other firms optimized the design of alternative power plants, such as a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine.

AeroVironment is developing both types of aircraft. In 2005 they demonstrated a 1/4-scale version of their Global Observer HALE aircraft that was driven by a liquid hydrogen-based fuel cell engine. Earlier this month (1/11/2011) AeroVironment's full-scale, liquid hydrogen-fueled, internal combustion engine-based Global Observer took its first flight, lasting four-hours. Ultimately, with its 175 foot wingspan, it will operate for up to a week at 65,000 feet.

Global Observer at at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in California (USAF Photo)

Its always good when the theoretical becomes reality!

Hydrogen Refueling - Oops!

Mid-August 2010 was not good for General Motors (GM) in Rochester, NY (or for Praxair). WIVB-TV has posted some video of an explosion seen from an airport security camera while Praxair was exchanging some compressed hydrogen storage tanks. Look for flames in the upper left corner after the camera shakes from the blast (or see County video of explosion near airport):

 

Not the worst thing in the world, but a black eye for GM (and Praxair). Nobody died, but two people were injured.

To avoid Hindenburg-style sensationalism, I'd like to see some analysis that looks at how many accidents happen with the gasoline refueling supply chain, in comparison with the current hydrogen refueling infrastructure. This is the first hydrogen event I've heard of, and many, many gasoline "events" occur in the U.S. each year. And nobody is talking about getting rid of gasoline!

Of course, if they generated hydrogen on-site at the refueling station with an electrolyzer, rather than bringing in compressed hydrogen made from fossil fuels, this might never have happened.

Another Interim Hydrogen Step

The Green Car Congress has an article from Nikkei about Japan's METI cost-sharing 50% of programs that will upgrade refinery-grade hydrogen (90% purity) to 99.99% pure fuel cell-grade hydrogen:

With Japan moving toward wide adoption of fuel cell vehicles by fiscal 2015, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry seeks to secure a steady supply of high-purity hydrogen.

Of course, this will do nothing to reduce global warming, as all refinery hydrogen is produced from petroleum-based feedstocks. You'd think they'd try to promote electrolyzers, which use renewable (or conventional) electricity to efficiently produce pure hydrogen. But, I'm sure they will get some good press about their valiant efforts to support fuel cells.

One of the Few Companies Making Money

 

In the spirit of the holidays, here's the Thames and Kosmos Fuel Cell Car & Experiment Kit.

It has an electrolyzer to make hydrogen, a fuel cell car that uses the hydrogen to run across the floor, and other experiments you can run.

I guess at least a few companies are making a profit with fuel cells.

DOE - Why Cost Sharing?

A week ago the U.S. Department of Energy came out with a solicitation announcement for up to $74 million in funding to support the research and development of fuel cells for stationary and transportation applications. Why do they have 20% cost sharing for the Fuel Cells R&D topic area, when fuel cells are not yet commercial! I thought their job was to promote not-yet-commercial technologies, and get cost sharing when doing demonstrations?