Template, Design Review

1
Trends in Fuel Cell Research What are we aiming
for?
October 6, 2004 Frank Preli
195 Governor's Highway
South Windsor, Connecticut 06074 USA
[phone]
www.utcfuelcells.com
2
UTC Fuel Cells Approach to DevelopmentFundamental
understanding enables design flexibility
Fundamental Research
Development
Design Flexibility

• Computer Modeling
• Mechanistic studies
• Materials performance decay
• Effect of operating conditions
• Water management

• Membrane
• Catalyst
• Diffusion media
• Components
• MEAs

• Operation
• Pressure
• Temperature

• Cell Design
• Cooling
• Humidification

Improve performance durability, reduce cost
3
Fuel Cell Requirements A System Optimization
Challenge
Operability
Power Density
Cost
Efficiency
Durability
4
Transportation Product Requirements
5
Automotive DurabilityStart/Stop and Load Hours
20-Cell Durability Testing
6
Automotive DurabilityLong-term Endurance
7
Automotive DurabilityComparison of
Humidification Schemes
still running
Target
8
Automotive Durability 20-cell cyclic load test
Beginning Performance
Performance after 600,000 cycles
Conditions Cycle 0 (5 sec) 600 (5 sec) mA/cm2

• Accelerated catalyst membrane degradation test
• Target is
• Current status is 10 loss

9
Automotive DurabilityStart/Stop Durability

• Target is 7,500 cycles with
• Status is

10
Low Temperature OperationFreeze Capability
After 10 Freeze Starts (-10 to 25 C)
Baseline
Target is 1,000 cycles with 11
Stack Power DensityWater management is key to
performance improvements
Target is 0.65 volts _at_ 1.5 A/cm2
12
Stack Power DensityAdvanced technology reduces
stack size
13
Stack Power Density
How high will it go?
14
System Efficiency
2004 Power Plant
2001 Power Plant
15
Cost Reduction Net shape molded parts, lower cost
MEA
Low Cost Parts
BOM
16
Market requirements / Status
Commercial Fuel cells
Advanced Phosphoric Acid
PC25
PEM
Product Requirements
200 kW PAFC
150 kW
400 kW Advanced PAFC
200 kW Advanced PAFC
36
200
50
200
50-200
Yearly Production
1,000
Factory Cost (/kW)
Installed Price (/kW)
3.7
3.2
1.9
1.2
1.5
OM Price (/kWh)
37 85
30 80
38 85
38 85
35 80
Elec. Efficiency (Avg) Total Efficiency
FPS 40,000 CSA 80,000
FPS 40,000 CSA 80,000
80,000
Major Component Life (hrs)
2,500
1,400-6,300
2,500
3,300-6,750
5,000
Reliability, MTBFO (hrs)
Actual Projected
17
Commercial Fuel Cells Durability
requirement
Stack Life (hours)
18
Commercial Fuel Cells PAFC Durability
19
Commercial Fuel Cells PAFC Durability
Predicted Decay Rates Advanced PAFC vs.
PureCell 200
680
660
640
620
MILLIVOLTS per CELL
600
Advanced PAFC
580
560
PureCell 200
540
520
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
LOAD HOURS
20
Commercial Fuel Cells PEMFC Durability
Accelerated Life Test
Failure Limit
With air bleed
Currently at 20,000 hrs.
No air bleed
21
PEMFC Durability Advanced technology mitigates
chemical attack
(90 C, H2-O2, 50 RH, 350 mASC)
MEA 1
MEA 2
Mitigation Technology on MEA 1
22
Commercial Fuel Cell Efficiency
Requirement
Average Efficiency
Requirement
23
SummaryKey needs for improvement

• Power density
• Improve catalyst performance
• Reduce cell pitch materials processing
• Freeze
• Reduce start time water management
• Improve durability
• Operating conditions
• Increase temperature membranes and catalysts
• Reduce humidification requirements - membranes
• Enable higher pressure without sacrificing
  durability performance
• Durability
• Improve run cyclic durability advanced MEA
• Cost
• Design, materials processing

A focus on fundamental understanding, materials
process development and component development
will lead to success