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MHS develops TP2L2 MEA for PEM fuel cells
NEWS
FuelCellEurope, VDMA cooperate to foster commercialization
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elgian-based FuelCellEurope, the European association of fuel cell developers and users, signed a memorandum of understanding with VDMA Fuel Cells, the group of manufacturers of systems and components for fuel cells within the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), during the recent Hannover Fair in Germany. The memorandum encourages a closer relationship, and a common framework and understanding, between the members of FuelCellEurope and VDMA Fuel Cells. The aim is to foster cooperation between the organizations and contribute to accelerating the commercialization of fuel cell technologies in Germany and across Europe, through joint actions such as networking and lobbying for fuel cells. The associations have committed to strengthening collaborative efforts; sharing information related to industrial, scientific, political and regulatory developments; and promoting policies that facilitate access for fuel cell technologies to markets. ‘VDMA is a prominent player in the industrial sphere in Germany. In the last couple of years they have made determinant progress in Germany, where the fuel cell industry is now starting to find a credible space among sustainable energy options,’ comments Jean-Marc Tixhon, chairman of FuelCellEurope. ‘More than ever, cooperation is a core component to get our messages heard by the many decision-makers influencing our technologies and markets. This is an important step to coordinate efforts in Europe, and we intend to replicate such agreements with interested partners throughout Europe.’ Michael Bode, chairman of VDMA Fuel Cells, adds: ‘In a more and more European and global market, it is vital that the German fuel cell industry cooperates with FuelCellEurope as the European voice of the industry vis-à-vis the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council.’ FuelCellEurope is the European association of fuel cell producers, and brings together member organizations from 10 European countries, as well as the US, Canada, China and Japan. Its mission is to accelerate European research and deployment of world-class fuel cell technologies for applications in transport, stationary and portable power. VDMA Fuel Cells is a group of the German Engineering Federation, based in Frankfurt, and acts as the industry network for manufac-
10
Fuel Cells Bulletin
turers of fuel cell systems and components, with more than 50 main industry players. FuelCellEurope: www.fuelcelleurope.org VDMA Fuel Cells: www.vdma.org/brennstoffzellen
DuPont launches Nafion XL MEA
U
S-based DuPont Fuel Cells has announced the commercial availability of DuPont Nafion® XL membrane-electrode assemblies. These MEAs are based on an extended-life, reinforced membrane that combines the advantages of mechanical reinforcement with enhanced chemical stability, enabling improved membrane durability. The new MEAs were unveiled at the recent Hannover Messe trade fair in Germany. ‘The primary focus of DuPont Fuel Cells is squarely in the catalyst-coated membrane and membrane-electrode assembly business,’ says John Colven, the firm’s global business manager. ‘We’re unlike other MEA producers, since DuPont has a combination of stable electrochemistry, fluoropolymer/ionomer expertise, and global mass production scalability.’ He adds that DuPont Fuel Cells is the only MEA manufacturer with these three critical elements in place today. ‘We are uniquely positioned to increase manufacturing efficiency to meet industry cost-of-ownership goals,’ he says. ‘We’re hoping this will help speed the adoption of fuel cells.’
Contact: DuPont Fuel Cells, Wilmington, Delaware, USA. Tel: +1 302 774 1258, www.fuelcells.dupont.com
MHS develops TP2L2 MEA for PEM fuel cells
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rench-based MHS Energies has announced that PEM fuel cell electrodes with an ultra-low platinum content (10 μg/cm2) have been manufactured at the GREMI laboratory in the University of Orléans. The new electrodes were fabricated using magnetron sputtering of platinum on a commercial E-Tek® uncatalyzed gas diffusion layer, in plasma fuel cell deposition devices manufactured by MHS. The combination of small particle size, deposition structure and platinum repartition leads to high electrode efficiency for both the hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions, says the company. The company believes that
its PEMFC power density of 400 mW/cm2, corresponding to a specific power of 20 kW per gram of platinum, is the highest yet reported in the scientific literature for such low platinum loadings for the anode and cathode. Platinum loadings of 0.16 and 0.01 mg/cm2 were realized. A PEMFC test with symmetric electrodes loaded with 10 μg/cm2 led to maximum reproducible power densities as high as 0.4 W/cm2 and 0.25 W/cm2 with Nafion® 212 and Nafion® 115 membranes, respectively. MHS says that, when added to this performance improvement, the technology also offers several cost and manufacturing advantages, and is easily transferable to industrial-scale processes. MHS Energies is a new unit of MHS Equipment SAS, whose expertise lies in ultrahigh-vacuum thin-layer deposition systems. MHS Energies aims to develop an innovative, environmentally friendly concept for high-performance PEMFC MEA manufacturing. The first products will be branded as TP2L2, indicating a total platinum loading of 20 μg/cm2. Contact: MHS Energies, MHS Equipment SAS, Houilles, France. Tel: +33 1 3086 7925, www.mhs-energies.com
RESEARCH
Energy frontier research center for South Carolina
T
he University of South Carolina has been selected by the US Department of Energy to house a research center for a team of leading energy researchers in the College of Engineering and Computing. The center, with $12.5 million in federal funding, is one of 31 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) being set up by DOE’s Office of Science at leading universities, for advanced scientific research on energy. The team will be led by Professor Ken Reifsnider, an internationally recognized researcher in solid oxide fuel cells, and director of the university’s Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Center of Excellence. The center will concentrate on designing and creating materials essential for engineering devices such as fuel cells, electrolyzers, electrodes, photovoltaics, combustion devices, fuel processing devices, and functional membranes and coatings. A key element of the center’s research will focus on understanding the nanostructure and functionality of such materials. Reifsnider says the award is the culmination of a 20-year dream to find answers to fundamental
July 2009
FuelCellEurope, VDMA cooperate to foster commercialization
B
elgian-based FuelCellEurope, the European association of fuel cell developers and users, signed a memorandum of understanding with VDMA Fuel Cells, the group of manufacturers of systems and components for fuel cells within the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), during the recent Hannover Fair in Germany. The memorandum encourages a closer relationship, and a common framework and understanding, between the members of FuelCellEurope and VDMA Fuel Cells. The aim is to foster cooperation between the organizations and contribute to accelerating the commercialization of fuel cell technologies in Germany and across Europe, through joint actions such as networking and lobbying for fuel cells. The associations have committed to strengthening collaborative efforts; sharing information related to industrial, scientific, political and regulatory developments; and promoting policies that facilitate access for fuel cell technologies to markets. ‘VDMA is a prominent player in the industrial sphere in Germany. In the last couple of years they have made determinant progress in Germany, where the fuel cell industry is now starting to find a credible space among sustainable energy options,’ comments Jean-Marc Tixhon, chairman of FuelCellEurope. ‘More than ever, cooperation is a core component to get our messages heard by the many decision-makers influencing our technologies and markets. This is an important step to coordinate efforts in Europe, and we intend to replicate such agreements with interested partners throughout Europe.’ Michael Bode, chairman of VDMA Fuel Cells, adds: ‘In a more and more European and global market, it is vital that the German fuel cell industry cooperates with FuelCellEurope as the European voice of the industry vis-à-vis the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council.’ FuelCellEurope is the European association of fuel cell producers, and brings together member organizations from 10 European countries, as well as the US, Canada, China and Japan. Its mission is to accelerate European research and deployment of world-class fuel cell technologies for applications in transport, stationary and portable power. VDMA Fuel Cells is a group of the German Engineering Federation, based in Frankfurt, and acts as the industry network for manufac-
10
Fuel Cells Bulletin
turers of fuel cell systems and components, with more than 50 main industry players. FuelCellEurope: www.fuelcelleurope.org VDMA Fuel Cells: www.vdma.org/brennstoffzellen
DuPont launches Nafion XL MEA
U
S-based DuPont Fuel Cells has announced the commercial availability of DuPont Nafion® XL membrane-electrode assemblies. These MEAs are based on an extended-life, reinforced membrane that combines the advantages of mechanical reinforcement with enhanced chemical stability, enabling improved membrane durability. The new MEAs were unveiled at the recent Hannover Messe trade fair in Germany. ‘The primary focus of DuPont Fuel Cells is squarely in the catalyst-coated membrane and membrane-electrode assembly business,’ says John Colven, the firm’s global business manager. ‘We’re unlike other MEA producers, since DuPont has a combination of stable electrochemistry, fluoropolymer/ionomer expertise, and global mass production scalability.’ He adds that DuPont Fuel Cells is the only MEA manufacturer with these three critical elements in place today. ‘We are uniquely positioned to increase manufacturing efficiency to meet industry cost-of-ownership goals,’ he says. ‘We’re hoping this will help speed the adoption of fuel cells.’
Contact: DuPont Fuel Cells, Wilmington, Delaware, USA. Tel: +1 302 774 1258, www.fuelcells.dupont.com
MHS develops TP2L2 MEA for PEM fuel cells
F
rench-based MHS Energies has announced that PEM fuel cell electrodes with an ultra-low platinum content (10 μg/cm2) have been manufactured at the GREMI laboratory in the University of Orléans. The new electrodes were fabricated using magnetron sputtering of platinum on a commercial E-Tek® uncatalyzed gas diffusion layer, in plasma fuel cell deposition devices manufactured by MHS. The combination of small particle size, deposition structure and platinum repartition leads to high electrode efficiency for both the hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions, says the company. The company believes that
its PEMFC power density of 400 mW/cm2, corresponding to a specific power of 20 kW per gram of platinum, is the highest yet reported in the scientific literature for such low platinum loadings for the anode and cathode. Platinum loadings of 0.16 and 0.01 mg/cm2 were realized. A PEMFC test with symmetric electrodes loaded with 10 μg/cm2 led to maximum reproducible power densities as high as 0.4 W/cm2 and 0.25 W/cm2 with Nafion® 212 and Nafion® 115 membranes, respectively. MHS says that, when added to this performance improvement, the technology also offers several cost and manufacturing advantages, and is easily transferable to industrial-scale processes. MHS Energies is a new unit of MHS Equipment SAS, whose expertise lies in ultrahigh-vacuum thin-layer deposition systems. MHS Energies aims to develop an innovative, environmentally friendly concept for high-performance PEMFC MEA manufacturing. The first products will be branded as TP2L2, indicating a total platinum loading of 20 μg/cm2. Contact: MHS Energies, MHS Equipment SAS, Houilles, France. Tel: +33 1 3086 7925, www.mhs-energies.com
RESEARCH
Energy frontier research center for South Carolina
T
he University of South Carolina has been selected by the US Department of Energy to house a research center for a team of leading energy researchers in the College of Engineering and Computing. The center, with $12.5 million in federal funding, is one of 31 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) being set up by DOE’s Office of Science at leading universities, for advanced scientific research on energy. The team will be led by Professor Ken Reifsnider, an internationally recognized researcher in solid oxide fuel cells, and director of the university’s Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Center of Excellence. The center will concentrate on designing and creating materials essential for engineering devices such as fuel cells, electrolyzers, electrodes, photovoltaics, combustion devices, fuel processing devices, and functional membranes and coatings. A key element of the center’s research will focus on understanding the nanostructure and functionality of such materials. Reifsnider says the award is the culmination of a 20-year dream to find answers to fundamental
July 2009