Advanced Materials for PEM-based Fuel Cell Systems

该奖项授予弗吉尼亚理工学院和州立大学，以支持以下24个月的活动。该提案是为响应创新伙伴关系计划招标（NSF 0082）而提交的。合作伙伴：弗吉尼亚理工学院和州立大学；弗吉尼亚联邦大学；纽波特纽斯造船公司（NNS）；阿卡迪亚弹性体;联合技术;ChemFab;讲台分析;BPAmoco;洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室；——关柏林大学;汉普顿大学。拟议的活动：该奖项的活动是燃料电池堆膜电极组装的系统工程分析；材料耐久性预测建模；新型电极聚合物的合成与表征暑期实习教育项目；建模与可靠性测试；从材料、模型、加工到原型的放大；向工业伙伴转让技术；商业化。燃料电池已经存在了一百多年，但它们不够经济，也不够可靠，无法商业化。需要在更高温度下工作并提高效率数千小时的材料。可靠性建模和寿命预测模型正在研究中。这将允许将该技术扩展到其他系统。一旦燃料电池在经济上具有竞争力，其商业化潜力将是巨大的。安静、清洁、可靠的移动发电将有巨大的应用范围，具有巨大的潜在经济市场。潜在的经济影响燃料电池具有清洁发电的潜力，但目前可用的材料不足以实现可靠、长寿命的高温经济运行。在研究生课程中纳入代表性不足的少数族裔很重要。如果能制造出经济、可靠的燃料电池，就能保证长期的可持续性。潜在的社会影响其中两个合作伙伴是历史上的非裔美国大学。拥有研究生学位的非裔美国科学家和工程师人数的增加将是一个主要成果。清洁发电将对社会产生重大影响。

0090556 McGrath This award is to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to support the activity described below for 24 months. The proposal was submitted in response to the Partnerships for Innovation Program Solicitation (NSF 0082).PartnersThe partners are Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Virginia Commonwealth University; Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS); Acadia Elastomers; United Technologies; ChemFab; Dais Analytic; BPAmoco; Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Grambling University; Hampton University.Proposed ActivitiesThe activities in this award are systems engineering analysis of membrane electrode assembly of fuel cell stacks; predictive modeling of materials durability; synthesis and characterization of new polymers for electrodes; summer intern education programs; modeling and reliability testing; scale-up from materials, models, processing to prototype; technology transfer to industrial partners; commercialization.Proposed InnovationFuel cells have been in existence for over one hundred years, but they are not economical or reliable enough for commercialization. Materials that operate at higher temperatures and increased efficiency for thousands of hours are needed. Reliability modeling and lifetime prediction models are being investigated. This will allow expansion of the technology to other systems. Once fuel cells become economically competitive, the potential commercialization is enormous. Quiet, clean, reliable, mobile power generation will have a huge range of applications with a large potential economic market.Potential Economic ImpactFuel cells have potential for clean generation of electrical power, but the materials available currently are not adequate for reliable, long-life high temperature economic operation. Inclusion of under-represented minorities in graduate programs is important. Long-term sustainability is assured if economic, reliable fuel cells can be made. Potential Societal ImpactTwo of the partners are historically african-american colleges. An increase in the number of african-american scientists and engineers with graduate degrees would be a major outcome. Clean generation of electrical power would be a major societal impact.