Advanced Hybrid Membranes for Next Generation PEMFC Automotive Applications

Technical Report · Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1439879· OSTI ID:1439879

Herring, Andrew M. ^[1]; Motz, Andrew R. ^[2]; Kuo, Mei-Chen ^[2]; Horan, James L. ^[2]; Hoffman, Jesica ^[2]; Yang, Yating ^[2]; Pandey, Tara P. ^[2]; Yandrasits, Michael ^[3]; Hamrock, Steven ^[3]; Dale, Nilesh ^[4]; Yadav, Ramesh ^[4]; Pivovar, Bryan ^[5]; Penner, Michael ^[5]; Bender, Guido ^[5]

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1. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering
2. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
3. 3M Company, Maplewood, MN (United States)
4. Nissan Technical Center North America (NTCNA), Farmington Hills, MI (United States)
5. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

The objective of this proposal is to fabricate a low cost high performance hybrid inorganic/polymer membrane that has a proton area specific resistance (ASR) < 0.02 ohm cm² at the operating temperature of an automotive fuel cell stack (95 - 120°C) at low inlet RH <50% with good mechanical and chemical durability. Additionally the membrane will be optimized for low hydrogen and oxygen crossover with high electrical ASR at all temperatures and adequate proton ASR at lower temperatures. We also seek to gain valuable insights into rapid proton transport at the limit of proton hydration. Additional research will be performed to incorporate the membrane into a 50 cm² membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The materials at the start of this project are at a TRL of 2, as we have shown that they have proton conductivity under high and dry conditions, but we have not yet consistently shown that they will function in an operational fuel cell. At the project’s end the materials will be at a TRL of 4 and will be integrated into an MEA, demonstrating that they can function with electrodes as a single fuel cell.

• Research Organization: Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office; National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); 3M Company, Maplewood, MN (United States); Nissan Technical Center North America (NTCNA), Farmington Hills, MI (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: EE0006363
• OSTI ID: 1439879
• Report Number(s): DOE-CSM-06363-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
polymer electrolyte membranes
chemical stability
proton conduction