Deployment of Fuel Cell Vehicles and Hydrogen Refueling Station Infrastructure: A Global Overview and Perspectives

Numerical investigation of high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell conductivity at different parameters

This study uses the finite element technique to analyse a multi-dimensional model for a polyelectrolyte membrane fuel cell at high working temperature. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique implements and solves this model. In addition, the membrane's thickness, and catalyst layer's thickness parameters have been studied. Membrane thickness is varied from to and the length of the fuel cell from to. The performance of the fuel cell was studied, analysed, and discussed for each case using the polarization curves and output power. The results indicate that the performance of fuel cells is enhanced by a thinner membrane than a thicker one with an increase in loading. The performance is approximated at light loads. Furthermore, the concentration of water at the cathode side of the fuel cell is highly affected by the change in fuel cell length more than the thickness of the membrane. Comparative analysis with prior research demonstrates strong agreement with our consequences.

Hydrogen Embrittlement Detection Technology Using Nondestructive Testing for Realizing a Hydrogen Society

Crack detection in high-pressure hydrogen gas components, such as pipes, is crucial for ensuring the safety and reliability of hydrogen infrastructure. This study conducts the nondestructive testing of crack propagation in steel piping under cyclic compressive loads in the presence of hydrogen in the material. The specimens were hydrogen-precharged through immersion in a 20 mass% ammonium thiocyanate solution at 40 °C for 72 h. The crack growth rate in hydrogen-precharged specimens was approximately 10 times faster than that in uncharged specimens, with cracks propagating from the inner to outer surfaces of the pipe. The fracture surface morphology differed significantly, with flat surfaces in hydrogen-precharged materials and convex or concave surfaces in uncharged materials. Eddy current and hammering tests revealed differences in the presence of large cracks between the two materials. By contrast, hammering tests revealed differences in the presence of a half size crack between the two materials. These findings highlight the effect of hydrogen precharging on crack propagation in steel piping and underscore the importance of early detection methods.

Leveraging automotive fuel cells can supply zero-emission peak power in the near-term

An increasingly decarbonized yet resilient power grid requires the corresponding build-out of dispatchable zero-emission resources to supply peak power. However, there is a recognized dearth of solutions which can serve multi-day peak demand events both cost-effectively and with near-term deployability. Here, we find that pairing low-cost automotive fuel cells with hydrogen storage in salt caverns can serve as a peaker plant at less than 500 US$/kW at present, a fraction of the cost of conventional fossil fuel-fired peakers. We demonstrate the peaker's value for long duration storage by comparing it with pumped hydro and assessing its profitability within Texas' energy-only market region. Although deployment of these peakers is constrained by the presence of salt caverns, we show that a number of sites in the United States and Europe are endowed with suitable salt formations, while utilizing hydrogen storage in pressurized containers could form a location-agnostic peak power solution.

Carbon-Nanowall Microporous Layers for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

The cathode microporous layer (MPL), as one of the key components of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEM-FC), requires specialized carbon materials to ensure the two-phase flow and interfacial effects. In this respect, we designed a novel MPL based on highly hydrophobic carbon nanowalls (CNW). Employing plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition techniques directly on carbon paper, we produced high-quality microporous layers at a competitive yield-to-cost ratio with distinctive MPL properties: high porosity, good stability, considerable durability, high hydrophobicity, and substantial conductivity. The specific morphological and structural properties were determined by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Thermo-gravimetric analysis was employed to study the nanostructures' thermal stability and contact angle measurements were performed on the CNW substrate to study the hydrophobic character. Platinum ink, serving as a fuel cell catalyst, was sprayed directly onto the MPLs and incorporated in the FC assembly by hot-pressing against a polymeric membrane to form the membrane-electrode assembly and gas diffusion layers. Single-fuel-cell testing, at moderate temperature and humidity, revealed improved power performance comparable to industrial quality membrane assemblies (500 mW cm-2 mg-1 of cathodic Pt load at 80 °C and 80% RH), with elevated working potential (0.99 V) and impeccable fuel crossover for a low-cost system.

A Perspective on Decarbonizing Mobility: An All-Electrification vs. an All-Hydrogenization Venue

The growing demand for low-carbon fuel is predicted by ultimate goals to fit the carbon neutrality by 2050 in many countries and regions including the European Union. According to the International Energy Agency, the CO2 emissions related to transportation stand for around 30% of total annual emissions, and so, the decarbonization of the mobility sector has the highest priority. In this work, we attempt to evaluate the expected demand for low-carbon fuels, including blue and green hydrogen, and low-carbon electricity in order to compare the available and required capacities of low-carbon fuels and electricity. According to our calculations based on the figures from 2020, the transition toward H2 mobility would require an amount of hydrogen equal to 366 million tons/annum, and by 2035, this requirement will increase up to 422 million tons/annum, which is several times larger than the existing H2 production capacities. We have estimated the volume of the carbon capture and storage facilities required for full decarbonization of the mobility sector globally, and in the case of hydrogen mobility driven by blue hydrogen, it exceeds 4.0 billions tons of CO2 per annum, while the decarbonization of coal-fired plants will require more than 10.0 billions tons of CO2 per annum. In addition to the calculation of required resources, we have estimated the cost of the fuel and required capital investments and have compared different possible solutions from different points of view: economic viability, technical readiness, and social perception. Finally, it can be concluded that the decarbonization of the mobility sector would require a complex solution involving both low-carbon hydrogen and electrification, and the capacities of low-carbon fuel must be significantly increased in the following decade to fulfill the climate goals.