Coated Aluminium Electrode Plates for Air Cooled (AC) PEMFC Stacks - CAEPAC

CAEPAC will establish the feasibility of coated electrode plates of lightweight alloy substrates for PEM (Proton

Exchange Membrane) fuel cells. PEM fuel cells display the highest power densities of any of the fuel cell types,

which makes them particularly attractive for transportation & portable applications where minimum size and

weight are required. Air cooled fuel cells significantly reduce balance-of-plant complexity, hence weight (and

cost), making Intelligent Energy’s AC (Air Cooled) technology particularly suitable for lower power automotive

applications such as primary and range extender drives for lightweight vehicles. Conventional PEM fuel cells

utilise electrode plates which are made from graphite (bulky and expensive to machine) or, particularly for

transport, stainless steel. For automotive applications, 100s of cells are needed within a multi-kW stack, hence

a relatively small weight saving per plate will be significant for the whole system, provided such components

can be manufactured cheaply and with similar performance and longevity. CAEPAC will develop novel, coated

lighweight alloy plates, and investigate their performance in cells & stacks, with detailed post-mortem analysis.