I-Corps: Thin Flexible Fuel Cell

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种高能量密度的电源，一种氢供电的薄型柔性燃料电池(TFFC)。这项拟议的技术可能会解决对性能更高、可持续的便携式电源日益增长的需求。先进的便携式系统在电力需求方面持续增长，电池限制了它们的可用性。例如，由于尺寸和重量的限制，商用无人机使用锂电池。这些电池提供的最大飞行时间为30分钟，这严重扰乱了工作流程。TFFC可能有助于扩大氢燃料电池在清洁、可持续能源方面的便携式应用。此外，TFFC最终可能有助于在广泛的垂直领域向轻型氢燃料电池转变，这些垂直领域需要可定制形式的高能量密度电源。该i-Corps项目基于新型氢燃料电池的开发。这项拟议的技术是一种薄型柔性燃料电池(TFFC)，它采用了一种结构，消除了传统燃料电池中使用的重金属部件(双极板)，减轻了重量，并显著提高了整个电力系统的能量密度。TFFC是一种质子交换膜(PEM)燃料电池，特别适合于轻型应用，因为所有传统上由金属制造的结构和包装组件都已被轻质聚合物取代。由此产生的结构具有远远超过现有燃料电池的功率密度。该结构超薄(约1 mm)，可弯曲，可以形成任意形状。该外形通过面积比例对流换热实现了高效的被动冷却，消除了对液体冷却剂、散热器、泵等主动冷却组件的需求。结果是一种简单、高度可靠、重量轻、紧凑、低成本的电源，可以集成到可以在广泛的环境温度和条件下运行的无人机机身中。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a high energy density power source, a hydrogen-fed thin flexible fuel cell (TFFC). The proposed technology may address the growing need for a higher performing, sustainable portable power source. Advanced portable systems continue to grow in power requirements and batteries are limiting their usability. For example, commercial drones use lithium-based batteries due to size and weight limits. These batteries provide a maximum flight time of 30 minutes, which disrupts workflow significantly. The TFFC may help to expand hydrogen fuel cell portable applications for clean, sustainable energy. In addition, the TFFC ultimately may contribute towards a shift towards lightweight hydrogen fuel cells in a wide array of verticals that require an energy-dense power source in a customizable form factor.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a new type of hydrogen fuel cell. The proposed technology, a thin flexible fuel cell (TFFC), uses an architecture that eliminates the heavy metallic parts (bipolar plates) used in conventional fuel cells, reducing weight, and significantly increasing energy density of the overall power system. The TFFC is a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell that is uniquely suited to lightweight applications because all the structural and packaging components that are conventionally fabricated from metals have been replaced by lightweight polymers. The resulting structure possesses power density that far exceeds those of existing fuel cells. The structure is ultra-thin (~ 1 mm) and flexible so that it can be formed into arbitrary shapes. The form factor enables highly efficient passive cooling through area-proportional convective heat transfer, obviating the need for active cooling components such as liquid coolants, radiators, pumps, etc. The result is a simple, highly reliable, lightweight, compact, low-cost power source that may be integrated into an unmanned aerial vehicle airframe that can operate over a wide range of ambient temperatures and conditions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.