Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MORELife (Material, Operating strategy and REliability optimisation for LIFEtime improvements in heavy duty trucks)
Reporting period: 2021-09-01 to 2023-02-28
Overall, the MORELife project aims to develop a deeper understanding of the cause-and-effect relationships in heavy duty (HD) stacks operated in HD systems/vehicles, implement innovative modeling approaches, and determine the exact specifications of next-generation membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for HD applications. The project also aims to close the gap between mechanistic investigations in well controllable single cells and actual data from HD vehicle stacks, and to validate proposed mitigation strategies using in-situ and ex-situ analysis methods.
Objective 1 is to develop a multi-pronged approach using baseline technology to understand and mitigate durability and degradation issues of heavy-duty stack components. This approach includes small scale testing, mechanistic modelling and simulation, real field data, focussed material developments, and commercial platform-based durability testing using full scale commercial hardware at various levels (cell and stack) to achieve a strong mechanistic understanding of degradation phenomena and real world heavy-duty application durability.
Objective 2 is to conduct the most advanced, targeted, and knowledge orchestrated experimental analyses of baseline technologies with advanced analytical methods based on detailed analysis, single cell testing of small-active-area MEAs, short stack testing for systematic screening of beyond baseline MEAs, and in and ex-situ characterization methods.
Objective 3 is to analyse real world data from HD vehicles to identify predominant degradation stimuli and failure modes based on stack operation conditions and operational transients encountered in actual HD vehicles, and to develop materials-specific accelerated stress tests (ASTs) to provide critical data for a global degradation model for baseline MEAs.
Obejctive 4 is to design a beyond baseline MEA tailored for HD application that comprises the most innovative core-shell catalyst, advanced Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL), and reinforced membrane featuring HD tailored thickness and chemical stabilization. This MEA is expected to achieve a beyond state of the art power density, a lower platinum group metals (PGM) loading and a high system durability (SD) of 30,000 h of operation with <10 % performance loss.
Objective 1 is to develop a multi-pronged approach using baseline technology to understand and mitigate durability and degradation issues of heavy-duty stack components. This approach includes small scale testing, mechanistic modelling and simulation, real field data, focussed material developments, and commercial platform-based durability testing using full scale commercial hardware at various levels (cell and stack) to achieve a strong mechanistic understanding of degradation phenomena and real world heavy-duty application durability.
Objective 2 is to conduct the most advanced, targeted, and knowledge orchestrated experimental analyses of baseline technologies with advanced analytical methods based on detailed analysis, single cell testing of small-active-area MEAs, short stack testing for systematic screening of beyond baseline MEAs, and in and ex-situ characterization methods.
Objective 3 is to analyse real world data from HD vehicles to identify predominant degradation stimuli and failure modes based on stack operation conditions and operational transients encountered in actual HD vehicles, and to develop materials-specific accelerated stress tests (ASTs) to provide critical data for a global degradation model for baseline MEAs.
Obejctive 4 is to design a beyond baseline MEA tailored for HD application that comprises the most innovative core-shell catalyst, advanced Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL), and reinforced membrane featuring HD tailored thickness and chemical stabilization. This MEA is expected to achieve a beyond state of the art power density, a lower platinum group metals (PGM) loading and a high system durability (SD) of 30,000 h of operation with <10 % performance loss.
Performance and catalyst degradation models, including the development of a one-dimensional modeling framework, the integration of existing catalyst degradation models, and the development of a single particle model, were extended to achieve the set objectives. Field data were provided to derive HD-relevant ASTs and ADTs to characterize both starting and advanced materials and predict lifetime degradation. Two generations of novel catalysts were developed, with the second generation MORELife-specific catalyst having higher electrochemically active surface area (ECSA), mass, and specific activity compared to the first generation.
The MORELife consortium is a group of European SMEs, including Nedstack, EKPO, and Mebius, that aims to develop innovative materials and reduce the cost of MEA production in the fuel cell industry. The project is expected to strengthen the positions of these SMEs in the market by providing them with firsthand access to the developments, results, and gained knowhow. Nedstack and EKPO, which are already supplying fuel cell solutions to the market, will benefit from the innovative materials developed in the project. AVL, as an industrial partner, will broaden their know-how on operation and operation-relevant parameters and introduce new software tools to extend their leading market share in FC system and subsystem testing. Mebius, on the other hand, is in the phase of market entry and will commercialize the developed MEAs based on their patented catalyst and membrane concepts. There are three strong cost drivers in MEA production: membrane, catalyst ink, and application. Mebius plans to produce inkjet-printed catalysts on ionomer membranes using small industrial printers, which will allow them to produce 30,000 CCMs per year in three shifts having 200 cm2 active area in 2024. Mebius shall use printheads with 10-times higher number of nozzles having a twice larger nozzle cross-section than the laboratory printer now in use. The next step in the MEAs production scale-up is the purchase of a larger inkjet printer from the same producer with the production capacity up to 500,000 CCMs per year in three shifts. This high productivity inkjet printer will be purchased in the last year of the MORELife project by reinvesting Mebius profit from sales revenue and other financial sources. The production cost of CCMs based on this technology is significantly lower than with R2R hot decal transfer technology at the same production rate. In conclusion, the MORELife consortium provides an opportunity for European SMEs to collaborate and develop innovative materials that will reduce the cost of MEA production and strengthen their positions in the market. Mebius plans to commercialize the developed MEAs based on their patented catalyst and membrane concepts, while AVL will broaden their know-how on operation and operation-relevant parameters and introduce new software tools to extend their leading market share in FC system and subsystem testing.