Fuel Cells
Fuel cells are electrochemical power sources with the advantages of high power density and high efficiency. NPL assists the UK fuel cell industry with innovative in situ measurement techniques, computer modelling and catalyst characterisation.
Fuel cell technology is still an emerging alternative energy source with a small number of modest-sized companies undertaking development work in the UK.
NPL assists UK industry to stay at the forefront of this emerging sector by providing solutions to measurement issues hampering the development of more efficient and cost-effective fuel cells. These include in-situ techniques for measurement of temperature and gas composition, modelling of fuel cell systems, assessment of fuel cell durability and the study of catalytic processes on the micro- to nano-scale.
The depletion of fossil fuel resources, energy security, and government environmental policy represent the most significant drivers towards the development of a global hydrogen economy.
The advantages of fuel cells over other sources of power are:
- high efficiency
- low emissions
- modularity
- fuel flexibility
- high power density
The three major issues currently confronting fuel cell developers and manufacturers are:
- cost of components
- establishment of a refuelling infrastructure
- durability of the systems in service
Fuel Cell Research Areas
- The focus of this research is the PEMFC, which is one of the most promising candidates for automotive and portable applications.
- Durability of PEMFCs is one of the major barriers to commercialisation of the technology.
- To provide a framework for interpreting experimental measurement and the effect of experimental and operational variables, a rigorous model to predict fuel cell performance is under development, which incorporates mass and heat transfer combined with electrochemical kinetics.
- NPL is developing a range of in situ techniques for measuring critical parameters such as temperature, humidity, potential, current density and gas composition during operation of PEMFCs and SOFCs.
External collaboration
NPL collaborates with both academic and industrial partners in several fuel cell research projects. An industrial advisory group (IAG) meets two to three times each year to guide and monitor the progress of research programmes, and includes representatives from:
- Johnson Matthey
- Intelligent Energy
- Ceres Power
- ACAL Energy
- AFC Energy
- Rolls-Royce Fuel Cells
- C Tech Innovation
NPL part-funds academic projects with:
- Imperial College (EPSRC postdoc)
- UCL (PhD student)
- University of Surrey (EngD student)
- University of Warwick (PhD student)
NPL is involved in a Technology Strategy Board (TSB) project with several industrial and academic partners including:
- Johnson Matthey
- Intelligent Energy
- University of Birmingham
- University of Loughborough
- Technical Fibre Products
- Mersen
Additionally, NPL is involved in the EU Fuel Cell Infrastructure FP7 project with international partners, including:
- FZ Julich
- KIT
- IFE
- BAM
- FIAT
- JRC Petten
- CEA
- EMPA
- Paul Scherer Institute
- VTT
- SINTEF