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Contents
Contents
NEWS
Plug Power takes full control of HyPulsion JV
Ballard to acquire Protonex Technology in US
1
1
ROAD VEHICLES
Ballard powers China buses, London bus support
Symbio FCell 1000 Kangoo ZE-H2 vans in 2016
Riversimple to build fuel cell city car in Wales
Calstart says improved cells for AC Transit buses
2
2
3
3
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
GreenGT H2 racing car continues development
Plug Power expands Walmart Canada lift trucks
Ballard to develop modules for Chinese trams
Fraunhofer, DLR demo power for airliner galleys
4
4
4
5
SMALL STATIONARY
Fuel cell tech powering South African schools
Hydrogen power for French alpine refuge
SFC integrates 500 W cell in EFOY ProCabinet
5
6
6
LARGE STATIONARY
Doosan FC for 13 units in Korea, one in Connecticut 7
AFC final building permit to finish Stade facility
7
Dominovas MW SOFC deals in Congo, Power Africa 7
FUELING
CaFCP list of CA hydrogen station priority sites
Fast-fill hydrogen station serves Hawaii GM fleet
Hyundai boosts hydrogen infrastructure in Korea
Air Products station is first in Europe for forklifts
8
8
9
9
ENERGY STORAGE
COMMERCIALISATION
PowerCell first order for S2 stack, appoints CEO
Neah, Clear Path solutions for security & defence
10
10
RESEARCH
NexTech methane/oxygen SOFC unit for NASA
DOE awards for Giner & Tetramer, AMR awards
10
11
NEWS FEATURES
Delaware engineers investigate use of solar
power on hybrid fuel cell shuttle buses
12
UCLA researchers develop lower-cost,
more efficient nanostructures for PEMFCs
13
Japanese researchers show how combination
imaging reveals PEM fuel cell damage
1415
REGULARS
Editorial
News In Brief
Research Trends
Patents
Events Calendar
3
5, 11
15
1619
20
ISSN 1464-2859/15
1464-2859/10 2015
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NEWS
road vehicles
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July 2015
NEWS / editorial
agency for energy management ADEME,
Rhne-Alpes regional government, European
Regional Development Fund, and the European
Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking
(FCH JU). The project coordinated by the
Tenerrdis new energy technologies cluster
is establishing an innovative model of
simultaneous deployment of hydrogen stations
serving multiple customers captive fleets.
This deployment model is recommended in
the French Hydrogen Mobility study [FCB,
August 2013, p2], and the approach can be
easily replicated across Europe. The project has
attracted a lot of interest, with applications from
nearly 30 cities in France.
Following the first deployments in 2015,
some major operators are planning to extend
their deployments to a few hundred vehicles
in their fleets. The new developments will be
based on the simultaneous implementation of
commercial vehicle fleets, according to the H2
Mobilit France cluster model. In 2016, these
vehicles will be equipped with the latest fuel
cell stack developed by Michelin, in a more
powerful system with extended functionality.
To support the deployment at European level, a
700 bar range-extender version will be available
in early 2016.
Symbio FCell, Grenoble, France. Tel: +33 1 5679 1506,
www.symbiofcell.com
Tenerrdis energy cluster, HyWay project:
www.tenerrdis.fr/en/News/hyway-project.html
Riversimple to build
fuel cell city car at
R&D facility in Wales
July 2015
EDITORIAL
NEWS
has led to that objective being met two years
early. Improved stack design and manufacturing
helped enable the increased stack life. AC
Transits demonstration over the past five years
indicates that the commercial lifetime target of
25000h is within reach. Conventional diesel
buses operate on a similar timeline, about six
years in service or half the lifetime of the bus,
at which point diesel engines used in transit
operations require a major overhaul.
Under a contract managed by Calstart, the
FTAs NFCBP accelerated testing of upgraded
fuel cells in AC Transits original three-bus fleet.
AC Transit installed these units in three of their
fleet of 12 second-generation fuel cell transit
buses, to continue testing.
The agencys 40ft (12m) hybrid-electric fuel
cell buses were made by Belgian bus builder
Van Hool, and are powered by a PureMotion
120 kW PEM fuel cell system from what was
UTC Power in Connecticut. Early last year,
Torrance-based US Hybrid executed a global
licensing agreement with United Technologies
Corporation to commercialise UTC Powers
proven PEM fuel cell technologies [FCB,
February 2014, p10]. US Hybrid provides
technical support to maintain the AC Transit
fuel cell bus fleet, and is also working to develop
a next-generation fuel cell, to lower the cost and
further increase lifetime in transit operations.
Non-profit Calstart has a successful longterm track record of working with the FTA to
develop and commercialise hybrid, fuel cell,
and battery electric transit buses [see the News
Feature on hydrogen refueling at AC Transit in
FCB, May 2012, p13].
Calstart, Pasadena, California, USA.
Tel: +1 626 744 5600, www.calstart.org
National Fuel Cell Bus Program (Calstart):
http://tinyurl.com/calstart-fcbuses
National Fuel Cell Bus Program (FTA):
www.fta.dot.gov/about/14617.html
AC Transit, Fuel Cell Buses:
www.actransit.org/environment/the-hyroad
US Hybrid, Torrance, California, USA.
Tel: +1 310 212 1200, www.ushybrid.com
mobile applications
he GreenGT H2 electric/hydrogen
racing car made an appearance at
the Paul Ricard circuit near Marseille,
during the recent French leg of the FIA
World Touring Car Championship.
4
July 2015
NEWS / in brief
power module in TRC tram equipment, with
the goal of powering a GTV prototype in 2016.
Ballard supplied a module for the fuel
cell-powered fixed rail electric tram recently
unveiled by CSR Sifang in Qingdao [FCB,
April 2015, p5]. The company recently
terminated licensing deals for bus and telecom
backup power with Azure Hydrogen in Beijing
[FCB, February 2015, p9], but more positively,
it is increasingly busy with orders for bus fuel
cell modules in China [FCB, May 2015, p2,
and see page 2].
Headquartered in Tangshan in Hebei
province, TRC offers a range of electric train
cars and magnetic levitation products, as well as
technologies for electric multiple unit (EMU)
system integration and network controls. The
company was established in 1881 as Chinas
first manufacturer of locomotives and rolling
stock, and has now manufactured more than
10000 trains.
Ballard Power Systems, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
Tel: +1 604 454 0900, www.ballard.com
Tangshan Railway Vehicle Company Ltd:
www.tangche.com/eng/index.php
July 2015
small stationary
IN BRIEF
Taiwan shows its first fuel cell hybrid car
A new city car powered by a fuel cell-battery
hybrid system debuted recently at National
Cheng Kung University (www.ncku.edu.tw)
in Tainan, Taiwan. The first fuel cell hybrid
vehicle developed in Taiwan is the result of
collaborative efforts between NCKU and WeiChi High-Tech Co Ltd.
The 7.5 kW hybrid power system combines
a lithium-ion battery and a fuel cell, which
is mainly used to charge the battery, and
provide additional power during acceleration.
The lightweight vehicle can be driven at up to
50 km/h (30 mph) for up to 150 km (90 miles),
using hydrogen stored in four 200 bar (2900
psi) bottles. Wei-Hsiang Lai, NCKU professor
of aeronautics & astronautics, says that the
range could be extended to 350 km (220 miles)
if the stored pressure is increased to 700 bar.
La Poste trialling hydrogen fuel cell bike
The French postal service La Poste has
started testing 12 hydrogen fuel cell-battery
bikes developed by Swedish bicycle company
Cycleurope (www.cycleurope.com), according
to bike-eu.com. The bikes feature a fuel cell with
hydrogen chemical storage in a reusable canister,
and with hybrid power electronics connecting
the fuel cell with a lithium-ion battery.
The hydrogen e-bikes being trialled in
Bayonne by La Poste use the same technology
as the first prototype displayed two years ago
by Cycleurope [FCB, July 2013, p3]. That
prototype Alter e-bike was a joint development
with French companies Pragma Industries
and Ventec. Pragma (www.pragma-industries.
com) develops hydrogen fuel cells for portable
applications and electric mobility, while Ventec
(www.ventec-bms.com) is a leading producer
of lithium battery management systems.
Cycleurope says that it plans to start sales of
the Alter bike under the Gitane brand in 2016.
4th Energy Wave annual review for 2015
The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Annual Review
2015 from 4th Energy Wave (PDF, http://
tinyurl.com/4thenergywave-2015) reports on
the latest growth and long-term industry
trends. New for this year is information on
jobs, platinum demand, and fuel cell costs,
alongside information on industry statistics
and policy.
The Annual Review is produced in two
versions. The first is a 70-page, free report
which provides in-depth analysis of the fuel
cell and hydrogen industry during 2014. The
second version which can be purchased from
the website for 1000 (US$1600, E1400)
includes a range of forward-looking statements
on the potential growth areas for the industry,
in terms of regions, applications, and platinum
demand.
NEWS
schools in the Cofimvaba region, to
support basic energy requirements
such as charging stations for tablets,
fax machines, and computers.
Anglo American Platinum (Amplats)
sponsored three platinum-based fuel cell
systems, including installation and ongoing
maintenance and operations, while Clean
Energy Investments co-owned by DST and
Amplats commissioned the fuel cells. (The
fuel cell supplier was not named; Amplats is
collaborating with Canadian-based Ballard,
while Clean Energy Investments is partnered
with US-based Altergy Systems.)
Air Products is supplying hydrogen fueling,
and has conducted feasibility assessments and
erected hydrogen storage facilities according to
international standards to supply the fuel cells at
the three schools. All the fuel cell power systems
have been operating since last September.
Anglo American, the Young Engineers and
Scientists of Africa (YESA), and the South
African Agency for Science and Technology
Advancement (SAASTA) have rolled out an
educational programme to teach about fuel cell
science. Already 3500 children of all ages at
26 schools in the region have observed the fuel
cell process in action, using educational kits
procured by Anglo American from Singaporebased Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies.
This year DST, through the TECH4RED
(Technology for Rural Education
Development) project, will also install two
solar systems and a biogas system, and provide
portable rechargeable batteries to learners
with no electricity at home. The fuel cell
project is part of the energy working group of
TECH4RED that DST is piloting in the Nciba
Circuit in Cofimvaba, to assess how technology
can contribute to improving education.
Last summer Anglo American and Ballard
launched a mini-grid field trial at the Naledi
Trust Community in Kroonstad, Free State
province, utilising a methanol-fueled PEM fuel
cell home generator system [FCB, August 2014,
p3]. This rural off-grid residential application,
in partnership with South African power utility
Eskom and the SA Department of Energy, is
powering 34 households through the fuel cell
system. Anglo American has been working with
Ballard for several years to develop fuel cell
electric generators for the African rural home
market [FCB, December 2012, p2].
The Hydrogen South Africa (HySA)
programme is focused on developing high-value
hydrogen fuel cell technology products that
promote the nations beneficiation of platinum
group metals, and comprises three centres of
competence covering catalysis, infrastructure,
and systems integration [see the HySA features in
FCB in June, October and November 2013].
6
GestHydrogne: www.gesthydrogene.fr
TECH4RED: www.ict4red.co.za
PowiDian: www.powidian.com
Waechter Energies: www.waechter-energies.com
July 2015
NEWS
equip Volkswagen vans with EFOY Pro fuel
cells and unveiled a trailer-based hybrid power
solution [FCB, May 2015, p3 and p7], while
its Canadian subsidiary Simark Controls
announced new sales agreements for the US
and Canada [FCB, May 2015, p10].
SFC Energy, Brunnthal/Munich, Germany.
Tel: +49 89 673 5920, www.sfc.com or
www.efoy-pro.com
large stationary
July 2015
Dominovas signs MW
SOFC deals in Congo,
joins Power Africa
NEWS
schools, malls, parks, food markets, sports centres,
police stations, and waste treatment facilities
across 8000 ha (30 square miles). The deployment
of the 3 MW Rubicon system, expected to
begin in Q4 of 2016, will be the largest single
deployment of fuel cell technology in Africa so far.
The PPA will yield more than US$100 million
in guaranteed revenue to Dominovas Energy
over its term. The company has partnered with
Delphi Automotive Systems to jointly develop
the technology and methodologies necessary to
facilitate the commercial manufacture, assembly,
and deployment of the Rubicon system [FCB,
November 2014, p11].
The Somico Mine, owned and operated
by mining company Somico-RDC, is located
in the Lusambo/Sankuru region, which has
one of the largest certified concentrations of
diamonds, gold, and iron ore in Africa. As one
of several mines operated by Somico-RDC,
the Somico Mine will serve as a model for
deploying Rubicon systems throughout Africa
and other global markets. With the vast reserves
of natural resources in Africa, the mining
sector represents a tremendous opportunity
for Dominovas Energys continued expansion
across diverse applications. The deployment of
this Rubicon system is also expected to begin in
Q4 of 2016, and the multi-year PPA will yield
more than $107 million in guaranteed revenue
to Dominovas Energy.
The Power Africa Initiative announced
by President Obama in Cape Town, South
Africa in June 2013 is a partnership of private
sector participants, the US government, and
governments of several sub-Saharan countries,
which aims to nurture and accelerate private
sector investment in Africas power sector over
the next several years. Power Africa partners
represent the foundational support in building
the regulatory, economic, and policy framework
integral to meeting increasing African demand
for and access to electricity.
Dominovas Energy Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Tel: 1 800 679 1249 (tollfree in US),
www.dominovasenergy.com
Power Africa Initiative: www.usaid.gov/powerafrica
fueling
Fast-fill hydrogen
station in Hawaii to
serve GM FCEV fleet
July 2015
NEWS
demonstration at MCBH. The State of Hawaii
also provided funding for project management
and equipment installation.
HNEI is also participating in a DOE/Sandia
project to explore potential cost savings and
emissions reductions by using fuel cells to
provide electrical power to berthed ships
[FCB, March 2014, p7].
Contact: Mitch Ewan, Hydrogen Systems Program
Manager, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute,
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Tel: +1 808 956 2337,
Email: ewan@hawaii.edu, Web: www.hnei.hawaii.edu
Marine Corps Base Hawaii: www.mcbhawaii.marines.mil
Hyundai partners to
boost hydrogen fueling
infrastructure in Korea
July 2015
energy storage
ThyssenKrupp Uhde,
McPhy in alliance for
hydrogen generation
news
By attacking the renewable energies market
with our new-generation equipment, delivering
improved technical and economic performance
capabilities, ThyssenKrupp Uhde Chlorine
Engineers will help drive our commercial
deployment forward, adds Pascal Mauberger,
CEO of McPhy Energy.
The alliance will make it possible to
accelerate the commercial deployment of the
new-generation alkaline high-pressure water
electrolysers developed by McPhy Energy
using De Noras activated electrodes [FCB,
March 2015, p8], utilising ThyssenKrupp
Uhde Chlorine Engineers strong commercial
capabilities and engineering expertise.
Created in April 2015, ThyssenKrupp Uhde
Chlorine Engineers is a joint venture between
plant engineering and construction company
ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions and Italian
electrochemical technologies specialist De Nora.
The JV aims to expand its sales of water electrolysis
equipment for renewable energy specialists.
McPhy Energy has developed a proprietary
metal hydride-based technique for storing
hydrogen in solid form [FCB, August 2014,
p8], and also now has a range of electrolyser
products for the energy and mobility markets
[FCB, March 2015, p9, and see the News
Feature in FCB, June 2015]. The company has
production sites in France, Germany and Italy,
and an R&D laboratory in France.
McPhy Energy, La Motte-Fanjas, France.
Tel: +33 4 7571 1505, www.mcphy.com
ThyssenKrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers:
www.thyssenkrupp-uhde-chlorine-engineers.com
commercialisation
research
NexTech to develop
methane/oxygen SOFC
unit for NASA
July 2015
news / in brief
In Phase I of this project, NexTech designed
a methane/oxygen SOFC system, established a
process model for a 70% efficient system, and
designed the stack for this system. Phase II will
develop a 3D CAD model of the methane/
oxygen SOFC system, the stack designed in
Phase I will be built and tested, and the longterm durability and thermal cycling capability
of the stack will be evaluated.
This project is designed to meet NASAs need
for energy-dense and highly efficient energy
storage and power delivery systems for future
space missions. SOFC-based systems are better
suited to meeting NASAs efficiency targets
than other fuel cell technologies while operating
directly on methane and oxygen reactants.
SOFC power systems for lunar landers and other
exploration vehicles are an ideal application for
this technology, as well as for power generation
on the moon or on Mars. NexTech Materials has
established SOFC technology that offers high
power density with direct internal fuel reforming
and high single-pass fuel utilisation, making it
ideally suited for achieving NASAs performance
and efficiency requirements.
The applications of a new methane/oxygen
SOFC system will greatly benefit NASA, and
extend to other markets where alternative
energy and high-performance technology
are needed, says Dr Scott Swartz, CTO of
NexTech Materials.
The high-efficiency SOFC technology to be
developed on this project is specifically geared
towards meeting the demanding requirements
of NASA applications, and leverages NexTechs
previous work on developing SOFC-based
energy systems for unmanned underwater
vehicles (UUVs) [FCB, June 2012, p4]. Meeting
the robustness requirements (i.e. thermal cycling
and rapid startup) for NASA applications will
make NexTechs SOFC technology suited for
other military applications, such as gensets,
auxiliary power units for silent-watch vehicles
[FCB, December 2014, p4], and unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs). Furthermore, the internal
reforming stack technology to be developed
in this SBIR project is directly applicable to
residential micro combined heat and power
(CHP) systems.
NexTech Materials Ltd, Lewis Center, Ohio, USA.
Tel: +1 614 842 6606, www.nextechmaterials.com
he US Department of Energy
has announced Small Business
Innovation Research and Small
July 2015
IN BRIEF
Japanese consortium plans fuel cell ship
A consortium of Japanese companies plan
to develop a hydrogen fuel cell powered
ship, according to a Nikkei report. Yamaha
Motor (http://global.yamaha-motor.com) will
supply the hull of the 10 tonne vessel, while
low-emissions bus builder Flat Field (http://
en.flatfield.co.jp/service/hydrogen.html) will
develop and procure parts and materials for
the fuel cells. Iwatani (www.iwatani.co.jp/eng)
will provide technical support in handling
hydrogen, and Toda (www.toda.co.jp/english)
will manage the overall project, which is
backed by the environment ministry.
The consortium will begin test runs of the
vessel in Nagasaki Prefecture this summer. The
ship can travel about 80 km (50 miles) on 160
Nm3 of hydrogen, roughly twice that used in a
fuel cell car. The ships construction cost more
than 100 million (US$800000), more than
three times as much as a similarly sized ship
running on heavy oil. The companies aim to
make the ship commercially available by the
2020 Tokyo Olympics. The consortium also
sees the project as boosting the economies
of Japans coastal areas, by putting in place
infrastructure to produce hydrogen for ship
use at coastal wind and solar power facilities.
In Germany, a tourist ferry has been
operated in Hamburg harbour since 2008,
powered by a fuel cell system supplied by
Proton Motor [FCB, October 2008, p4]. And
two years ago the UKs first hydrogen-powered
ferry was operated in Bristol harbour over that
summer [FCB, July 2013, p4].
IEA tech roadmap outlines critical steps
The new Technology Roadmap: Hydrogen and
Fuel Cells (http://tinyurl.com/iea-hfc-techroadmap-2015) from the International Energy
Agency details the steps that governments,
industry, and researchers need to take to foster and
track deployment of this technology if hydrogen
is to become a significant energy carrier by 2050.
For example, the Technology Roadmap
says that developing the hydrogen refueling
infrastructure required for widespread
adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles would
entail investment of US$9001900 for each
FCEV sold by 2050. Thus critical steps
include large-scale demonstration projects to
prove the economic feasibility of electrolysers
for producing hydrogen, hydrogen fueling
stations, and the FCEVs themselves.
The IEA roadmap addresses the challenge
of taking these steps in harmony to bolster the
confidence of hydrogen users and suppliers. It
shows how a fast ramp-up of FCEV sales plus
basic installation of hydrogen infrastructure,
including at least 5001000 stations could
create a self-sustaining market for such vehicles
within 1520 years.
11
news feature
Schematic diagram of the PV/PEM fuel cell/NiCd battery hybrid powertrain in the University of Delaware
fuel cell bus. Colour key: (1) Blocks: primary components (green), auxiliary fuel cell components (beige),
power conditioning units (black); and (2) Streams: glycol/water mixture (purple), hydrogen (light blue),
air (yellow), DC power (red), AC power (light green), mechanical power to/from the drivetrain (dark
blue). Black arrows indicate stream flow direction. [Image courtesy of MDPI]
12
Reference
Zachary S. Whiteman, Piyush Bubna, Ajay
K. Prasad, and Babatunde A. Ogunnaike:
Design, operation, control, and economics of a
photovoltaic/fuel cell/battery hybrid renewable
energy system for automotive applications,
Processes 3(2) (June 2015) 452470, http://
dx.doi.org/10.3390/pr3020452 or www.mdpi.
com/2227-9717/3/2/452 [Open Access].
For more information, contact:
Professor Babatunde Ogunnaike, Chemical &
Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware,
Newark, Delaware, USA. Tel: +1 302 831 4504,
Email: ogunnaike@udel.edu, Research Group:
www.che.udel.edu/systems
University of Delaware, Center for Fuel Cell Research:
www.cfcr.udel.edu
July 2015
news feature
Surface engineering to
enhance stability
The chemical processes that take place in PEM
fuel cells are catalysed by metals. One of these
processes is the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)
at the cathode, which has typically used platinum
as its catalyst, but the high cost of platinum
has been a major factor in hindering wider
adoption of these fuel cells. Scientists have studied
alternative catalysts including using a bimetallic
platinum-nickel compound but to date, none
has been durable enough to be a viable solution.
Doping platinum-nickel
nanostructures
To create a fuel cell that would be more
efficient, more durable and less expensive
to produce, the research consortium used a
surface engineering technique called surface
doping, in which they added a third metal
(molybdenum, Mo) to the surface of platinumnickel (Pt3Ni) nanostructures (octahedra).
The change made the alloy surface more
stable, and prevented the loss of nickel and
platinum over time. Surface doping with
July 2015
Improving catalyst
efficiency, reducing cost
We showed that the addition of a third
transition metal enables improvement in both
efficiency and durability to bring down longterm costs, says Dr Yu Huang, who led the
research team. Huang is a UCLA associate
professor of materials science and engineering,
and a member of the California NanoSystems
Institute at UCLA.
She continues: In addition, the surface doping
approach may also apply to a broad range of
catalysts, and opens up a new route for catalyst
engineering for the search of high-performance
catalysts for environment protection, energy
generation, and chemical productions.
Research consortium
The papers co-lead authors are postdoctoral
scholar Xiaoqing Huang and graduate student
Zipeng Zhao, both members of Huangs
Acknowledgment
The research was supported by the Office of
Naval Research, National Science Foundation,
and US Department of Energy.
This summary is based on a report by
Matthew Chin in the UCLA Office of Media
Relations.
Reference
Xiaoqing Huang, Zipeng Zhao, Liang Cao,
Yu Chen, Enbo Zhu, Zhaoyang Lin, Mufan
Li, Aiming Yan, Alex Zettl, Y. Morris Wang,
Xiangfeng Duan, Tim Mueller, and Yu Huang:
High-performance transition metaldoped
Pt3Ni octahedra for oxygen reduction reaction,
Science 348:6240 (12 June 2015) 12301234,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aaa8765
For more information, contact: Dr Yu Huang,
Materials Science and Engineering, School of
Engineering and Applied Science, University of
California, Los Angeles, USA. Tel: +1 310 794 9589,
Email: yhuang@seas.ucla.edu, Research Group:
http://yhuang.seas.ucla.edu
California NanoSystems Institute: www.cnsi.ucla.edu
Or contact: Professor Tim Mueller, Department of
Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Tel: +1 410
516 8145, Email: tmueller@jhu.edu, Research Group:
http://muellergroup.jhu.edu
13
news feature
Electron microscopy
The resolving power of traditional optical
microscopes is limited by the diffraction
limit to around half the wavelength of the
incident light. The resolving power of electron
microscopes is much greater, because the
wavelength associated with the electron beams
used is up to several orders of magnitude
shorter than optical light.
Electron microscope images are derived
from the changes in the electron beam after it
is transmitted through the sample. Scanning
transmission electron microscope (STEM)
images are achieved by scanning the beam across
the sample, providing atomic-scale information
about the shape and contours of a sample.
Combination of imaging
techniques
The researchers combined scanning
transmission electron microscopy (STEM)
and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
(EDS) techniques with X-ray absorption fine
structure (XAFS) measurements. The STEM/
EDS can give morphological information on
atomic arrangement and element distribution,
while the nano-XAFS can give molecular-level
chemical information on electronic (oxidation)
states and coordination structures with
chemical bonding, they explain in the paper.
The team used their same-view STEM/
EDS and XAFS equipment to compare the
membranes before and after 300 cycles of
anode gas exchange, which simulates the
startup/shutdown process in fuel cell electric
vehicles, for example. They were able to
identify two processes causing irreversible
degradation of the platinum catalyst:
detachment of the platinum nanoparticles
14
Schematic diagram of the combined approach that yields both X-ray absorption (bottom left) and
electron microscopy (top right) data. The combined approach helps to identify how PEM fuel cell
membranes deteriorate. [Image courtesy of ACS]
July 2015
Energy-dispersive X-ray
spectroscopy
The electron beam can also stimulate
the emission of X-rays from a sample.
The wavelength of the X-rays emitted is
determined by the atomic structure, which
is specific to each individual element.
Thus measuring the peaks in the X-ray
spectra referred to as energy-dispersive
X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) can identify the
elements in STEM images.
Reference
Shinobu Takao, Oki Sekizawa, Gabor Samjeske,
Shin-ichi Nagamatsu, Takuma Kaneko, Takashi
Yamamoto, Kotaro Higashi, Kensaku Nagasawa,
Tomoya Uruga, and Yasuhiro Iwasawa: Sameview nano-XAFS/STEM-EDS imagings of Pt
chemical species in Pt/C cathode catalyst layers
of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, Journal of
Physical Chemistry Letters 6(11) (4 June 2015)
21212126,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.5b00750
For more information, contact: Professor Yasuhiro
Iwasawa, Innovation Research Center for Fuel Cells,
University of Electro-Communications, Chofu,
Tokyo, Japan. Tel: +81 42 443 5921,
Email: iwasawa@pc.uec.ac.jp,
Web: www.icfc.uec.ac.jp/index_eng.html
Research Trends
July 2015
Synchrotron investigation of
microporous layer thickness on
liquid water distribution in PEMFC
J. Lee et al.: J. Electrochem. Soc. 162(7)
(July 2015) F669676. [Open Access]
http://dx.doi.org/10.1149/2.0221507jes
Evaluation of polyaniline-Nafion
composite membranes for DMFC
durability tests
R. Escudero-Cid et al.: Int. J. Hydrogen Energy
40(25) (6 July 2015) 81828192.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.04.130
15
patents
Patents
Multilayer contact for planar SOFC
stack, with at least three layers of
electrically conductive, thermally
matching perovskite materials
Assignee: Versa Power Systems, Canada
[FuelCell Energy]
Inventors: X. Zhang et al.
Patent number: US 8962218
Published: 24 Feb. 2015 (Filed: 14 Jan. 2011)
Flexible, electrolyte-supported
planar SOFCs with dense cell edge
for enhanced sealing, maximised
active area: FlexCell, HybridCell
Assignee: NexTech Materials, USA
Inventors: M.J. Day et al.
Patent number: US 8968956
Published: 3 Mar. 2015 (Filed: 20 Sep. 2011)
July 2015
patents
Manufacture of proton-conducting
membranes, composite polymer
films with inorganic ceramic oxides,
for regenerative PEMFCs
Assignee: Ramot at Tel-Aviv
University Ltd, Israel
Inventors: E. Peled et al.
Patent number: US 8968961
Published: 3 Mar. 2015 (Filed: 24 Jan. 2011)
July 2015
17
PATENTS
Thin separator with improved
electrical conductivity for DMFC
fabricated on PCB to power phone
Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation, Japan
Inventor: S. Inoue
Patent number: US 8980138
Published: 17 Mar. 2015 (Filed: 6 Feb. 2013)
Low-cost, polyimide-based
PEM with high resistance to
methanol crossover, and use
in DMFC MEA
Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation, Japan
Inventors: T. Sugitani et al.
Patent number: US 8980499
Published: 17 Mar. 2015 (Filed: 21 May 2010)
Automotive reformer/SOFC
system with enhanced combustor
durability, improved heat efficiency
Assignee: Honda Motor Co, Japan
Inventor: H. Homma
Patent number: US 8980495
Published: 17 Mar. 2015 (Filed: 16 May 2007)
July 2015
PATENTS
Ammonia fuel cell with solid
electrolyte including layered metal
oxide based on doped LaSrCoO,
with high current density
Assignees: Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan
and Hokkaido University, Japan
Inventors: H. Nakanishi et al.
Patent number: US 8986894
Published: 24 Mar. 2015 (Filed: 7 Feb. 2012)
Aerosol-assisted co-assembly
process for preparing nanoporous
Pt/TiO2 composite particles, for
DMFC anode catalyst
Assignee: Korea Institute of Geoscience
and Mineral Resources, Korea
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Taipei, Taiwan
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2016
24 March 2016
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15 March 2016
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Nanning, China
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15 September 2015
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19 November 2015
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Dsseldorf, Germany
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Call for abstracts deadline: 16 September 2015
46 April 2016
Berlin, Germany
More information: www.greensuschemconf.com
Call for papers deadline: 2 October 2015
July 2015