Description du projet
Réduire les coûts des piles à combustible grâce aux catalyseurs d’aérogel
Les piles à combustible à membrane échangeuse de protons (PEM-FC) pourraient révolutionner la conversion et la distribution d’énergie, en particulier en ce qui concerne la propulsion des véhicules et les groupes électrogènes. Les charges élevées des matériaux catalytiques coûteux utilisés dans les cathodes constituent, pour l’heure, un obstacle à leur commercialisation. Dans le cadre du projet LAACat, financé par l’UE, les chercheurs exploitent une classe unique de matériaux appelés aérogels métalliques. Ces matériaux se composent d’un réseau tridimensionnel de particules métalliques de taille nanométrique et allient les excellentes propriétés des métaux et des aérogels. Le projet entend optimiser le procédé sol-gel qu’il a mis au point afin de l’intégrer dans la production régulière d’aérogels métalliques. Le développement réussi de cette technologie permettra d’utiliser les aérogels métalliques dans la production de PEM-FC à vocation commerciale.
Objectif
Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have attracted considerable worldwide attention because of their high energy conversion efficiency and low environmental impact. Their commercialization, however, is inhibited by the high loadings of the costly catalyst materials used at their cathodes, which is in turn related to their insufficient oxygen reduction activity and inadequate long-term stability. A promising solution that simultaneously addresses all these issues is the design of pure metallic, unsupported catalysts with extended surfaces. A particularly promising class of unsupported catalyst that has recently emerged is that of metallic aerogels, which consists of extended metal backbone nano-networks. This exclusive class of materials combines the unique properties of metals (such as good electrical and thermal conductivity, catalytic activity, and ductility/malleability) with the unique properties of common aerogels (high surface area, ultralow density, and high porosity). The fabrication of pure metallic aerogels with metal backbones by the direct sol-gel method was recently achieved for the first time by our group. These pure metallic aerogels have excellent performance potential in electrocatalytic applications.Successful upscaling of the straightforward aerogel preparation procedure will allow for subsequent testing of the material in market-ready PEMFCs with a 30 cm2 electrode area. The aim of this proof of concept project is therefore to create a prototype PEMFC using bimetallic aerogel electrocatalysts from large-scale synthesis (from technology readiness level 3 to 5) and design the optimal route-to-market strategy that would ensure swift adoption of our technology in an industrial setting. This prototype and the business case will be introduced at commercial conferences and fairs in order to establish contacts to European-based companies and to pave the way for technology transfer and commercialization.
Champ scientifique
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum PilotInstitution d’accueil
01069 Dresden
Allemagne