Los Alamos National Laboratory revealed a fuel cell architecture that incorporates nanowires on Aug. 14, known for their durability, as detailed in the paper "Coaxial Nanowire Electrodes Enable Exceptional Fuel Cell Durability" published in Advanced Materials. Representing research in fuel cell technology, this inventive electrode, forming the core of a polymer electrolyte-membrane fuel cell, exhibits enhanced resistance to corrosion, potentially heralding a transformative phase for fuel cells that utilize hydrogen as a clean energy source for vehicles, according to a press release.
The increase in durability renders this fuel cell architecture a viable option for demanding heavy-duty trucking applications, seeking fuel cell lifetimes surpassing 25,000 hours. The coaxial nanowire electrode (CANE) comprises an arrangement of vertically aligned nanowires, with each nanowire featuring a catalytically active platinum film enveloping an ion-conducting polymer core. Through the elimination of carbon-based catalyst supports, the CANE design effectively eradicates conventional degradation mechanisms associated with carbon corrosion, according to the release.
“In real-world terms, this means that we can have a more durable fuel cell that will provide high fuel economy over a longer lifetime,” said Jacob Spendelow, a scientist with the Los Alamos National Laboratory team. “This work demonstrates that we can get rid of conventional carbon-based catalyst supports, eliminating the degradation problems associated with carbon corrosion, while still achieving high fuel cell performance.”
The newly developed fuel cells underwent rigorous accelerated stress testing to evaluate their robustness. In this evaluation, the CANE demonstrated exceptional resilience, exhibiting a mere 2% decline in performance after 5,000 stress test cycles concentrated on support materials. In contrast, a conventional carbon-based electrode experienced a substantial 87% reduction in performance under similar testing conditions.
Funding for the work was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (DOE-HFTO) under the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck consortium, along with support from the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program at Los Alamos National Laboratory, the press release reported.