Proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology for transportation applications

Conference · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:269290

Swathirajan, S ^[1]

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1. General Motors R&D Center, Warren, MI (United States)

Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells are extremely promising as future power plants in the transportation sector to achieve an increase in energy efficiency and eliminate environmental pollution due to vehicles. GM is currently involved in a multiphase program with the US Department of Energy for developing a proof-of-concept hybrid vehicle based on a PEM fuel cell power plant and a methanol fuel processor. Other participants in the program are Los Alamos National Labs, Dow Chemical Co., Ballard Power Systems and DuPont Co., In the just completed phase 1 of the program, a 10 kW PEM fuel cell power plant was built and tested to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating a methanol fuel processor with a PEM fuel cell stack. However, the fuel cell power plant must overcome stiff technical and economic challenges before it can be commercialized for light duty vehicle applications. Progress achieved in phase I on the use of monolithic catalyst reactors in the fuel processor, managing CO impurity in the fuel cell stack, low-cost electrode-membrane assembles, and on the integration of the fuel processor with a Ballard PEM fuel cell stack will be presented.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• OSTI ID: 269290
• Report Number(s): SAND--96-0945; CONF-9509355--; ON: DE96010752
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
COST
DESIGN
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
FUEL CELL POWER PLANTS
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
METHANOL
STACKS
TRANSPORTATION SECTOR
VEHICLES