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，一种氢馈入的薄柔性燃料电池（TFFC）。所提出的技术可以解决对更高性能、可持续的便携式电源的日益增长的需求。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，由于尺寸和重量限制，商用无人机使用锂基电池。这些电池提供最长30分钟的飞行时间，这会严重扰乱工作流程。TFFC可能有助于扩大氢燃料电池便携式应用，以获得清洁、可持续的能源。 此外，TFFC最终可能有助于在各种垂直领域向轻质氢燃料电池的转变，这些垂直领域需要可定制形状因子的高能量密度电源。这个I-Corps项目基于新型氢燃料电池的开发。所提出的技术，一个薄的柔性燃料电池（TFFC），使用的架构，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，并显着增加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成的结构和包装组件都已被轻型聚合物所取代。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（~ 1 mm）且灵活，因此可以形成任意形状。该外形尺寸可通过面积比例对流传热实现高效被动冷却，无需使用液体冷却剂、散热器、泵等主动冷却部件。表示“低”之义一种成本低廉的电源，可以集成到无人机机身中，可以在广泛的环境温度和条件下运行。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

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applications because all the structural and packaging components that are conventionally fabricated from metals have been replaced by lightweight polymers.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.