In-operando water visualization in fuel cells

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The hydrogen and fuel cell industry is currently gaining significant momentum worldwide due to the increasingly urgent need for zero-emission transportation systems across all sectors. Large-scale commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicles, however, still requires significant cost reductions prior to their diffusion within the consumer market. A route to achieving this cost reduction is to operate fuel cells at higher power density and thus reducing their overall footprint. However, this gain is offset by the higher rate of water production and its efficacious removal becomes crucial. The objective addressed in this proposal is therefore to determine the overall liquid water distribution in the porous media of an operating fuel cell. This work leverages a long-standing university-industry fuel cell research partnership between Simon Fraser University and Ballard Power Systems. The approach envisioned to yield novel results is to utilize X-ray computed tomography and specially designed X-ray transparent setups to visualize liquid water across multiple length scales of relevance in fuel cells. All results will be shared with Ballard and depending on the specific outcomes, fuel cell design strategies to mitigate or delay flooding and hence improve fuel cell performance and durability will be suggested. The benefits to Canada will be accrued in several ways; most notably through knowledge and technology transfer to Ballard, a world leader in fuel cell development and manufacturing that has the capacity to exploit the project outcomes across worldwide markets for zero-emission mobility.