Fuel Cell Systems

In collaboration with industrial partners the group is providing technology support for fuel cell stacks and systems and developing proof-of-technology demonstrators. Focus today is on stationary hydrogen/(pure) oxygen systems and evaporative cooling. Current and past projects are briefly described below.

Project ESI

The Energy-System-Integration-Platform ESI ESI Platform investigates storage of (excess) renewable energy into chemical energy such as hydrogen and synthetic natural gas. Different energy conversion systems are integrated on a platform located at the PSI East area. The fuel cell systems and diagnostics group (FCSD) being responsible for the hydrogen path consisting of an electrolyzer, a gas purification plant, hydrogen and oxygen gas tanks and a fuel cell system for reconversion to electric power, jointly developed with Swiss Hydrogen. Swiss Hydrogen

E-Sling H2 Project

E-Sling is a ETH Fokus-Project giving students the chance for applied field experience. The aim is to develop new airplane drives and integrate them into a Sling TSi four-seat single engine aircraft. The project investigates two concepts of electric drives powered either by a hydrogen fuel cell system or by batteries (airplane as shown in image).

Within the frame of an academic partnership the first prototype of the hydrogen fuel cell system was successfully tested on the fuel cell test facility of PSI’s ESI Platform. The next steps in the project are building up its test facility and further optimization of the fuel cell system.

Gas Diffusion Layers with Patterned Wettability

During PEFC’s operation the reactant gas is fed to the cell through the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and through the same material the product water is removed. Water accumulation near the catalyst can block the gas access causing an increase of the mass transport losses. On the other hand, PEFC’s work with a solid electrolyte membrane that needs to be hydrated in order to be proton conductive. In order to obtain the maximum performance PEFC’s required a well-balanced water management.

Evaporative cooling concept

PEFCs are penalized by their cost and complexity, due in part to needed cooling and humidification systems. Evaporative cooling concepts achieve simultaneous cooling and humidification by evaporating liquid water in the PEFC itself, thus allowing the removal of the costly external humidifiers and the use of much less water for cooling than a classical convective cooling system. However they have their own challenges, such as distributing the liquid water where it is most needed or avoiding flooding the cell.

Water Management of electrolyser systems

The PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) water electrolysers produce high purity hydrogen by electrochemical water splitting. The Major advantage of this technology is its dynamics, safety and simplicity of the whole pilot plant. The Anode where water is being split and cathode where hydrogen is evolved are isolated from each other by solid electrolyte what enables PEMWE (Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysers) to electrochemically pressurize the gas up to 300bar.

Autostack CORE

Autostack-CORE is a European JTI-FCH joint project developing PE fuel cell stack technology for the automotive industry. The objectives of this project are to meet the target costs while maintaining high energy density and performance. A consortium of 14 partners from industry and research was involved, with PSI being responsible for characterization performance and durability tests of short-stacks.

Belenos Fuel Cell Car

In collaboration with Belenos Clean Power Holding Belenos Clean Power AG, two generations of drive trains for lightweight cars were developed. This activity has received the Watt d'Or award in Watt d'Or award in 2011.

Post Bus

In the frame of the FCH-JU project CHIC, Postauto Post Bus five fuel cell driven Citaro buses in daily use in the regular public transportation system in the canton of Aargau. PSI supports this project by analysis of the energy chain. The project was awarded Watt d'Or in 2012.

Hy.Muve Road Sweeper

hy.muve stands for "hydrogen-driven municipal vehicle". It is a joint project between EMPA, PSI, CCEM, Bucher Schörling, BRUSA, Messer and others. A prototype of a compact road sweeper CityCat propelled with a fuel cell system is developed tested. The vehicle is currently evaluated in different Swiss cities under real live conditions. More information can be found here.

Hy.Light Car

In collaboration with Michelin a oxygen/hydrogen fuel cell system for the fuel cell based power train of the HY.LIGHT car was developed and built.

Pac Car II

This is a ETHZ project developing a vehicle PAC-Car II. The fuel cell stack was provided by PSI. Using hydrogen as the fuel, PAC-Car II covers a distance of 5385 km with the energy contained in 1l of gasoline.This is the current record of minimum consumption at the shell eco-marathon.

PowerPac

A new stack generation for mobile systems in the kW-range with innovative features such as internal gas humidification has been developed and characterized in collaboration with ETHZ and industrial partners. The applicability was demonstrated in the portable system PowerPac.