Grant: Alliance Grants

The hydrogen and fuel cell industry is gaining significant momentum worldwide due to the increasingly urgent need for zero-emission transportation systems. The recent shift to heavy duty vehicles such as trucks and buses, has however increased the requirements for high reliability and durability up to 30,000 hours or one million miles. This lifetime enhancement can be achieved by ensuring that the fuel cell subcomponents and their integration in a membrane electrode assembly do not produce unintended deficiencies that eventually may reduce the operational lifetime. The research objective of this proposal is therefore to determine the impacts of electrode non-uniformities on membrane durability and water management in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells, and suggest mitigation routes to increase durability and avoid liquid water flooding; thus, enhancing operational lifetime and reducing cost. The outcomes of this research will also aid scalability of fuel cell manufacturing and reduce scrap rates, while generating new knowledge on fuel cell degradation mechanisms and water transport phenomena. This work leverages an internationally recognized research partnership between Simon Fraser University and Ballard Power Systems, building on 14+ years of prior collaboration and the required expertise, facilities, and knowledge translation to generate transformative results and outcomes. 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. The outcomes will also aid the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada and its ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by enhancing the value proposition of fuel cell electric vehicles.