Grant: Strategic Projects Supplemental Competition

Fuel cells have emerged as a promising candidate for terrestrial power generation because of their high-energy efficiency, environmental friendliness and compatibility with alternative fuels and renewable energy sources/carriers for sustainable development, and polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell is particularly suited for transportation and on-site co-generation applications due to its high power density and fast startup. The key technical barriers to the commercialization of PEM fuel cell is the cost reduction and performance improvement, including durability and reliability. However, performance improvement and cost reduction are critically hindered by the difficulties associated with the flooding and removal of liquid water in PEM fuel cell, and dynamic water balance has been a bottleneck for transportation application where frequent load variations occur. As a result, water management is a critical issue that limits the performance and cost of PEM fuel cell. Therefore, the objective of this proposed research is to enhance liquid water removal from PEM fuel cell by nano-modification of the cell component surfaces to possess superhydrophobic properties, then to conduct experiments to confirm the performance and durability of the resulting PEM fuel cells. Modeling/ simulation will also be carried out to improve the understanding of liquid water removal process, and then to develop effective strategies for liquid water removal through the improved understanding that can be implemented in the design and operation of PEM fuel cell for cost reduction and performance enhancement. To achieve the above objectives a collaborative approach is planned, involving the design, fabrication and testing of PEM fuel cells. The applicants and the supporting organization have already had collaboration in their existing research activities, and have complementary expertise and skills with already available research infrastructure to carry out the proposed project successfully. The results of the proposed research will be useful to relevant Canadian industry in their effort to commercialize PEM fuel cell with competitive cost and high performance.