Durable hydrocarbon-based fuel cell membranes

耐用的碳氢化合物燃料电池膜

• 批准号: 565316-2021
• 负责人: Kjeang, ErikEA
• 金额: $ 5.39万
• 依托单位: Simon Fraser University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=760552
• 关键词: Durable; hydrocarbon; based; fuel; cell

Hydrogen fuel cells are gaining significant momentum worldwide due to the increasingly urgent need for zero-emission transportation systems across all sectors. Large-scale adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles, however, still requires significant cost reductions and durability improvements, in particular for heavy duty vehicles. The ionomer membrane that separates the two fuel cell electrodes is at the epicentre of this dilemma, being a costly component at scale, which is also susceptible to premature failure. There are also concerns about the environmental impacts of the fluorinated membranes that are typically used in this application, as toxic, bio-accumulating fluorine waste may adversely affect human health and natural ecosystems. A promising route to achieving cost reduction is therefore to investigate low-cost, fluorine-free membranes to replace the conventional materials used in fuel cells. However, past attempts to introduce alternative membranes have failed due to poor stability and durability in the fuel cell environment. The overarching goal of the proposed research is to address and overcome the present stability and durability impediments of emerging, fluorine-free membranes for polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications. Fuel cell durability is considered the last remaining research frontier for these breakthrough materials and will be addressed in this project using an in-depth scientific approach, targeting to unlock broad societal adoption and use of the technology. The project will form a new university-industry research partnership between Simon Fraser University (SFU) Fuel Cell Research Lab (FCReL) and Ionomr Innovations, covering the required expertise, facilities, and knowledge translation to generate transformative results and outcomes. Specifically, this partnership will merge FCReL's vast expertise and research tools on fuel cell durability with Ionomr's emerging, high-performing hydrocarbon ionomer materials and related expertise and technical knowledge.

由于各行业对零排放运输系统的需求日益迫切，氢燃料电池在全球范围内获得了巨大的发展势头。然而，燃料电池电动汽车的大规模采用仍然需要显着降低成本和提高耐用性，特别是对于重型车辆。分隔两个燃料电池电极的离聚物膜处于这一困境的中心，它是一种昂贵的大规模组件，也容易过早失效。人们还担心通常用于该应用的氟化膜对环境的影响，因为有毒的生物累积性氟废物可能会对人类健康和自然生态系统产生不利影响。因此，降低成本的一个有前景的途径是研究低成本、无氟膜来替代燃料电池中使用的传统材料。然而，由于燃料电池环境中的稳定性和耐用性较差，过去引入替代膜的尝试都失败了。拟议研究的总体目标是解决和克服用于聚合物电解质燃料电池应用的新兴无氟膜目前的稳定性和耐用性障碍。燃料电池耐久性被认为是这些突破性材料的最后一个研究前沿，将在该项目中使用深入的科学方法来解决，旨在解锁该技术的广泛社会采用和使用。该项目将在西蒙弗雷泽大学 (SFU) 燃料电池研究实验室 (FCReL) 和 Ionomr Innovations 之间建立新的大学与行业研究合作伙伴关系，涵盖产生变革性成果和成果所需的专业知识、设施和知识转化。具体来说，此次合作将把 FCReL 在燃料电池耐久性方面的丰富专业知识和研究工具与 Ionomr 的新兴高性能碳氢离聚物材料及相关专业知识和技术知识相结合。