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Another Chinese breakthrough in battery tech: Scientists at Tianjin University’s School of Mechanical Engineering have developed a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with an ultra-high volumetric power density that performs 80% better than regular counterparts, Xinhua News Agency reports.
SOUND SMART- Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells? A proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a type of fuel cell that uses hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, water, and heat. It consists of a polymer electrolyte membrane that allows protons to pass through, and electrodes that catalyze the reactions of hydrogen and oxygen. PEMFCs operate at low temperatures (50 to 100 °C) and are mainly used for transport, stationary, and portable applications.
Okay, so what’s different? Using electrospinning technology and metal foam, the team developed a fuel cell with ultra-thin carbon nanofiber film that replaces the conventional gas diffusion layers and flow channels. This reduced the membrane electrode assembly thickness by 90% and the mass transfer losses by 80%, resulting in a fuel cell with almost twice the volumetric power density of the previous ones. The team expects that the new fuel cell stack can achieve a peak volumetric power density of 9.8 KW per liter.
And why does this matter? Hydrogen fuel cells provide a clean, renewable, and efficient source of energy for various applications. They can boost energy security and diversity by using hydrogen that can be produced from various domestic resources, such as natural gas, coal, solar, wind, and biomass.
The region is already in on the tech: Aramco-backed Wa’ed Ventures invested in a USD 108 mn Series B for French quantum computing startup Pasqal in January which uses quantum computing to build simulations that can test electric battery and hydrogen fuel cell durability, safety, and affordability. Hyundai Motors also signed an MoU with Korea Automotive Technology Institute, Air Products Qudra, and the Saudi Public Transport Company to establish and develop an ecosystem for hydrogen-based mobility and promote demonstration projects for hydrogen-fuel cell commercial vehicles. Neom-backed ZeroAvia is also pursuing hydrogen-electric propulsion systems as the most economical and eco-friendly aviation fuel.
