Novel MEA for enhanced durability and high performance polymer electrolyte fuel cell

拟议的项目涉及刺激氢能的最终用户市场。国际能源署（IEA）发布的2019年具有里程碑意义的报告（《氢能的未来》）强调了氢能的巨大机遇，凸显了“前所未有的政治和商业势头”。氢能为阿尔伯塔和加拿大提供了多种机会：（i）加强阿尔伯塔的能源领导地位和经济安全;（ii）为长途运输、化学品和钢铁等各部门的脱碳提供技术解决方案;（ii）通过采用氢能，为改善阿尔伯塔人、加拿大人和其他全球管辖区的空气质量和健康做出贡献。到2050年，这个2.3美元的三分之一氢市场的很大一部分取决于通过使燃料电池汽车更具竞争力来“通过车队，货运和走廊扩大氢运输”的能力（2019 IEA报告）。氢燃料电池在重型卡车和公共汽车上应用的一个关键障碍是，与轻型车辆的氢燃料电池相比，它们的耐用性必须增加五倍（25000小时对5000小时）。进一步的审查确定了燃料电池耐久性的致命弱点是聚合物电解质膜的耐久性。在这个为期两年的项目中，膜电极组件（MEA）的新概念，可利用现有的专业知识实现，并结合团队最近的材料创新，将被集成到台式燃料设备中，以评估其与传统MEA设计/材料相比的耐用性和性能优势。其结果将是一个技术准备水平4的知识/产品，可以解决耐久性问题，加快采用氢燃料电池汽车

The proposed project is concerned with stimulating the end-user market for hydrogen energy. The landmark 2019 report (Future of Hydrogen) by none other than International Energy Agency (IEA) underlines the massive opportunity for hydrogen highlighting the "unprecedented political and business momentum". Hydrogen energy offers multiple opportunities for Alberta and Canada: (i) strengthen Alberta's energy leadership and economic security; (ii) provide technological solutions for decarbonization of various sectors including long-haul transport, chemicals, and iron and steel (ii) contribute to improving air quality and wellness of Albertans, Canadians and other global jurisdiction through adoption of hydrogen energy. A large fraction of this $2.3 Trillion hydrogen market by 2050 is hinged on the ability to "expand hydrogen in transport through fleets, freight and corridors" by making fuel-cell vehicles more competitive (2019 IEA Report). A key hurdle for hydrogen fuel cell adoption in heavy duty trucks and buses is that their durability must increase five-folds compared to hydrogen fuel cells for light weight vehicles (25000 hours versus 5000 hours). A further scrutiny identifies the achiles heels for fuel cells durability to be the durability of the polymer electrolyte membrane. In this two-year long project, a novel concept of membrane electrode assembly (MEA), realizable with existing expertise and incorporating recent materials innovation by the team, will be integrated into a benchtop fuel device to assess its superiority for durability and performance compared to conventional MEA design/materials. The outcome will be a technology readiness level 4 knowledge/ product that could solve the durability issue expediting adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles