NXCT fuel cell project: Four-dimensional in situ visualization of fuel cell degradation

氢燃料电池动力汽车为加拿大的交通系统提供了清洁，安静和低排放的解决方案 和世界各地。根据氢的来源，这些车辆可以减少60-100%的二氧化碳排放量， 现有的汽油和柴油内燃机技术，在提供相似的驾驶性能的同时， 舒适度和范围。燃料电池汽车在使用点实现了真正的零排放，只产生清洁水 作为最终产品，并在可再生燃料来源 就业。巴拉德燃料电池技术开创了燃料电池公交车和仓库升降机的全球市场 自1990年代初以来，卡车第六代重型技术目前部署在20辆公交车上， 惠斯勒，不列颠哥伦比亚省和数以千计的巴拉德燃料电池动力叉车发动机已部署在世界各地。在 为了推进下一阶段的部署，巴拉德的首要任务是降低燃料电池的资本成本 模块，同时延长产品寿命，以满足或超过现有的内燃机。 NXCT（阅读：“下一个”）燃料电池项目将发展下一个所需的基本理解和技术 巴拉德一代燃料电池产品。在APC的支持下，一种新型的基于纳米X射线计算机断层扫描（NXCT）的燃料 将建立细胞检测设施。该设施将是世界上独一无二的，并使令人兴奋的研究进展 这在以前是不可能的。NXCT X射线仪器与定制硬件相结合， 研究人员在运行过程中“原位”扫描燃料电池的内部结构。类似于X光和CT扫描 由于在人体上进行，本技术是非侵入性和非破坏性的，并且可以用于3D成像。 可视化，而不会损坏研究中的样本。然而，目前的研究将更进一步， 在四个维度上可视化燃料电池，包括时域，以建立详细的基本理解， 在汽车系统中的燃料电池操作期间发生的劣化现象。该计划汇集了一个 来自Ballard Power Systems和Simon Fraser的互补、多学科专业知识的凝聚力研究团队 大学与学术界和工业界之间的密切互动。NXCT燃料电池项目是及时的，因为它将推进 下一代燃料电池产品的耐用性和价值主张，为现有市场提供增长， 为加拿大制造的清洁能源燃料电池解决方案提供新兴市场。

Hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles offer a clean, quiet, and low-emission solution for transportation systems in Canada and worldwide. Depending on the source of hydrogen, these vehicles can reduce C02 emissions by 60-100% versus incumbent gasoline and diesel internal combustion engine technology, while offering similar driving performance, comfort, and range. Fuel cell vehicles enable a true zero-emission profile at the point of use, producing only clean water as end product, and enable a near zero-emission profile on a well-to-wheel basis where a renewable fuel source is employed. Ballard fuel cell technology has pioneered the global market for fuel cell transit buses and warehouse lift trucks since the early 1990's. The 6th generation heavy duty technology is presently deployed for a 20-bus fleet in Whistler, B.C. and thousands of Ballard fuel cell powered lift truck engines have been deployed around the world. In order to proceed to the next level of deployment, the priority for Ballard is to drive down the capital cost of fuel cell modules, while simultaneously extending product lifetime to meet or exceed that of incumbent combustion engines. The NXCT (read: "next") Fuel Cell project will develop fundamental understanding and technology required for next generation Ballard fuel cell products. With APC support, a novel Nano X-ray Computed Tomography (NXCT) based fuel cell testing facility will be constructed. This facility will be unique in the world, and enable exciting research advances that were previously not possible. The NXCT x-ray instrument combined with customized hardware will allow the researchers to scan the internal structure of the fuel cell 'in situ' during operation. Similar to x-ray and CT scans performed on the human body, the present technique is non-intrusive and ·non-destructive, and can be utilized for 3-D visualization without damage to the specimen under study. The present research will however go one step further and visualize the fuel cell in four dimensions, including the time domain, to establish a detailed fundamental understanding of the degradation phenomena that occur during fuel cell operation in automotive systems. The program brings together a cohesive research team of complementary, multidisciplinary expertise from Ballard Power Systems and Simon Fraser University with close interaction between academia and industry. The NXCT Fuel Cell project is timely as it will advance the durability and value proposition of next generation fuel cells products, providing growth of existing markets as well as enabling new emerging markets for Made-in-Canada clean energy fuel cell solutions.