Development and demonstration of alkaline fuel cell technology

25 Pages·2014·2.5 MB·English

Development and

demonstration of alkaline

fuel cell technology:
An overview of EU-funded
projects led by AFC Energy plc.
1
AFC Energy Plc: An Introduction
Vision
To develop and produce a reliable alkaline fuel cell system at a
commercially acceptable cost vs. alternative existing energy
systems
AFC Energy Plc: An Introduction
History
• Formed 2006 (listed on AIM)
• Based in Surrey, UK
• 48 staff (35 technical)
• Funded by private investors and EU grants
Enabling mass manufacture of alkaline fuel cells
LASER-CELL
Electrode Concept
Electron flow Materials Challenges:

• Good electrical conductivity
• Corrosion resistant in alkaline media
O H O
2 2
• High gas permeability
• Low liquid permeability
OH–
• High catalytic activity
O H O
• Robust
2 2
• Cheap

Gas diffusion Liquid diffusion
Electrodes and Stack Concept
6
Substrate Design Requirements
– The substrate is a highly complex component
– There are currently no appropriate mass-manufacturing techniques
Design Requirements
Good electrical conductivity
Corrosion resistant in alkaline media
Good mechanical strength and flexibility
Ability to be machined/extruded in different shapes and sizes
Precise hole size/porosity
Easy to seal
Inexpensive
Laser-Based Manufacturing
Novel high volume substrate manufacturing processes
based on laser technology
Laser drilling Laser sintering

8
Laser Sintering

http://www.laser-
cell.eu/perch/resources/1396533923-my-
movie-2.mp4
Laser Drilling
– Laser optics have vastly improved in the last 10 years
– Innovative optics can be used to split beam and increase throughput
– Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs) were used as multi-spot optics for laser
drilling of the metals
– More than 100 W laser power can be utilized for laser drilling with SLMs
using a self-build cooling system
– Possible to drill 4-5X faster vs. single beam drilling of 200 um thick steel.
Speed of 1200 holes/second was achieved using multi-beams