NSF Award
9531564
DMI-9531564 Kosek This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II is directed at a method to significantly reduce the cost of fuel cells actively being developed as power sources for electric vehicles. A recently completed Phase I program demonstrated the feasibility of inexpensive catalysts, containing very little noble metal, as H2 oxidation catalysts in a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The catalyst is intended to replace the costly PI anode catalysts currently used in PEMFCs. Objectives of the Phase II program include (1) continued catalyst development, including investigation of methods to improve contaminant tolerance, (2) development of improved electrode structures to enhance PEMFC performance, particularly at high current density, (3) evaluate low-cost cathode catalysts containing little or no noble metal, and (4) to scale-up a PEMFC stack containing the low-cost catalysts in both stack height and active area. The program will culminate in continuous operation for 1000 hours of a 6-cell PEMFC stack, with each cell having a 160 cm2 active area, containing the most promising anode and cathode catalyst. The development of inexpensive catalysts to replace the high Pt-content PEMFC catalyst would result in a significant reduction in PEMFC cost, increasing the economic competitiveness of PEMFC-powered vehicles with vehicles powered by Internal combustion engines. Due to the recent mandates of California, and states in the Northeast requiring zero emission vehicles, there is potentially a large commercial market for PEMFCs with the low-cost anode catalyst. Fuel cells are also being considered for dispersed micro-cogeneration applications; the low-cost PEMFC is attractive for this application and other cogeneration applications. Military applications include mobile electric generators and transportation applications. exchange membrane fuel cell, anode catalyst, hydrogen oxidation _
