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

NXCT燃料电池项目：燃料电池退化的四维原位可视化

• 批准号: 437222-2012
• 负责人: Kjeang, Erik
• 金额: $ 18.23万
• 依托单位: Simon Fraser University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Automotive Partnership Canada Project
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=619326
• 关键词: NXCT; fuel; cell; project; Four

Hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles offer a clean, quiet, and low-emission solution for transportation systems in Canadaand worldwide. Depending on the source of hydrogen, these vehicles can reduce C02 emissions by 60-100% versusincumbent 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 wateras end product, and enable a near zero-emission profile on a well-to-wheel basis where a renewable fuel source isemployed. Ballard fuel cell technology has pioneered the global market for fuel cell transit buses and warehouse lifttrucks since the early 1990's. The 6th generation heavy duty technology is presently deployed for a 20-bus fleet inWhistler, B.C. and thousands of Ballard fuel cell powered lift truck engines have been deployed around the world. Inorder to proceed to the next level of deployment, the priority for Ballard is to drive down the capital cost of fuel cellmodules, 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 nextgeneration Ballard fuel cell products. With APC support, a novel Nano X-ray Computed Tomography (NXCT) based fuelcell testing facility will be constructed. This facility will be unique in the world, and enable exciting research advancesthat were previously not possible. The NXCT x-ray instrument combined with customized hardware will allow theresearchers to scan the internal structure of the fuel cell 'in situ' during operation. Similar to x-ray and CT scansperformed on the human body, the present technique is non-intrusive and ·non-destructive, and can be utilized for 3-Dvisualization without damage to the specimen under study. The present research will however go one step further andvisualize the fuel cell in four dimensions, including the time domain, to establish a detailed fundamental understanding ofthe degradation phenomena that occur during fuel cell operation in automotive systems. The program brings together acohesive research team of complementary, multidisciplinary expertise from Ballard Power Systems and Simon FraserUniversity with close interaction between academia and industry. The NXCT Fuel Cell project is timely as it will advancethe durability and value proposition of next generation fuel cells products, providing growth of existing markets as well asenabling new emerging markets for Made-in-Canada clean energy fuel cell solutions.

氢燃料电池汽车为加拿大和世界各地的交通系统提供了一种清洁、安静和低排放的解决方案。根据氢气来源的不同，这些车辆可以将二氧化碳排放量比现有的汽油和柴油内燃机技术减少60%-100%，同时提供相似的驾驶性能、舒适性和续航里程。燃料电池汽车在使用时实现了真正的零排放，只产生清洁的水作为最终产品，并且在使用可再生燃料来源的情况下，在井到轮的基础上实现了近零排放。自20世纪90年代初S以来，巴拉德燃料电池技术开创了燃料电池公共汽车和仓储提升机的全球市场。目前，第6代重型技术已部署在不列颠哥伦比亚省惠斯勒的20辆公交车上，成千上万台巴拉德燃料电池驱动的提升机卡车发动机已部署在世界各地。为了进入下一阶段的部署，Ballard的首要任务是降低燃料电池模块的资本成本，同时延长产品寿命，以达到或超过现有内燃机的使用寿命。NXCT(简称：“Next”)燃料电池项目将发展下一代Ballard燃料电池产品所需的基本理解和技术。在APC的支持下，将建造一个基于纳米X射线计算机层析成像(NXCT)的新型燃料电池测试设施。这一设施将在世界上独一无二，并使令人兴奋的研究进展成为可能，而这在以前是不可能的。NXCT X光机与定制的硬件相结合，将使研究人员能够在运行期间‘原位’扫描燃料电池的内部结构。类似于在人体上进行的X射线和CT扫描，本技术是非侵入性和·非破坏性的，并且可以用于三维可视化，而不会对所研究的标本造成损害。然而，本研究将更进一步，在包括时间域在内的四个维度上可视化燃料电池，以建立对汽车系统中燃料电池运行过程中发生的退化现象的详细的基本理解。该项目汇集了来自巴拉德电力系统公司和西蒙·弗雷泽大学的相互补充的多学科专业知识的粘性研究团队，以及学术界和工业界的密切互动。NXCT燃料电池项目是及时的，因为它将提高下一代燃料电池产品的耐用性和价值主张，促进现有市场的增长，并为加拿大制造的清洁能源燃料电池解决方案提供新的新兴市场。