Durable Fuel Cells

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Dr. Kjeang is the CRC (Tier 2) in Fuel Cell Science and Technology Development at Simon Fraser University. The proposed discovery research program on Durable Fuel Cells addresses the outstanding scientific frontier on the stringent durability required for hydrogen fuel cell use in zero-emission heavy duty transportation systems, including trucking, rail, marine, and aviation. The emphasis is on heavy duty trucks and the associated ultimate lifetime target of 30,000 hours, equivalent to one million miles, which is more than three times higher than that of light duty vehicles and poses a considerable challenge for fuel cell and zero-emission vehicle producers. The main research objectives are to: 1) Develop in-depth knowledge of the key fuel cell degradation mechanisms from root cause to failure under dynamic operating conditions; 2) Develop modeling tools for fuel cell lifetime predictions in vehicle applications; and 3)Demonstrate strategies for durability enhancement of cost-effective, scalable fuel cell technologies for transportation systems. The long-term vision of this research program is to team up with the growing cleantech industry in Canada to develop and commercialize the most durable, reliable, and scalable fuel cell systems on the market. This research will utilize an original methodology pioneered by Dr. Kjeang for multiscale, time-resolved X-ray visualization of fuel cell degradation. This method enables non-invasive X-ray imaging of a miniaturized fuel cell that can be periodically applied during degradation, thus facilitating an unprecedently informative, four-dimensional assessment of root causes, degradation mechanisms, and failure modes within the native fuel cell environment. The new fundamental understanding thus achieved will subsequently be leveraged to develop novel durability enhancement approaches and lifetime prediction tools. The proposed research program is designed in response to the Call to Action of the newly released Hydrogen Strategy for Canada, Seizing the Opportunities for Hydrogen, which stresses the importance of further R&D investments to "reduce costs further" and "discover new breakthrough technologies to benefit the sector" to stay at the forefront of innovation and sustain Canada's competitive advantages in the hydrogen and fuel cell sector. In this context, the research will create breakthrough technologies for durability management and reduce manufacturing and lifecycle costs of zero-emission fuel cell electric vehicles. Through existing collaborations with industry, the outcomes will be effectively translated into products and services that enable real-world utilization and associated economic, societal, and environmental benefits, in accordance with the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada. Additionally, this research will train the next generation engineers for this growing industry.