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Fuel Cells: Latest Advances and Prospects
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Fuel Cells: Latest Advances and Prospects

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "D2: Electrochem: Batteries, Fuel Cells, Capacitors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2023) | Viewed by 26701

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Remzi Can Samsun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Energy and Climate Research, IEK-14: Electrochemical Process Engineering, Forschungszentrum, 52425 Jülich, Germany
Interests: fuel cells; hydrogen; energy systems; fuels; diesel reforming; kerosene reforming; autothermal reforming; fuel processing; hydrogen production; water–gas shift; PEFC systems; HT-PEFC systems; power-to-fuel; power-to-liquid; synthetic fuels; auxiliary power units; computational fluid dynamics; systems analysis; dynamic modelling; thermodynamic analysis; techno-economic analysis; hybrid systems; catalytic combustion; chemical reactor design; energy systems modelling; electrofuels; fuel cell vehicles

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fuel cells are known as energy converters, which offer high efficiencies and low emissions. Both aspects have brought fuel cells to the centre of the worldwide efforts to mitigate climate change and achieve greenhouse gas neutrality. In recent years, many leading countries and organizations have identified the critical role of hydrogen for the storage of volatile renewable energy sources and as a vector for coupling various sectors. Meanwhile, hydrogen is a major component of energy scenarios, and the number of national hydrogen strategies and roadmaps is increasing rapidly. Hydrogen being the ideal fuel for fuel cells, the role of fuel cells in future energy systems will surely be determined by the progress in efficiency, cost reduction and long-term stability of fuel cell stacks and systems.

At present, more than 45,000 fuel cell vehicles are on the road worldwide, and the number of stationary fuel cell systems has surpassed 400,000 units. These numbers show that fuel cell technologies are already available as commercial products. At the same time, current research and development efforts combine advanced materials and production technologies for innovative fuel cells and stacks with novel system designs and operating strategies aiming for increased reliability and efficiency at lower cost, so that fuel cell technologies can not only replace conventional ones without subsidies but also compete with other promising energy technologies.

The Special Issue “Fuel Cells: Latest Advances and Prospects” aims to answer how fuel cells can contribute to the worldwide efforts to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality and which advanced materials, key manufacturing technologies, innovative system designs and operating strategies are currently available, offering a promising approach to achieve the efficiency, cost reduction and long-term stability targets in the future.

For this purpose, the Special Issue is open for articles on the latest advances from experimental and modelling studies as well as reviews on the state-of-the-art and the prospects on topics including but not limited to:

  • Advanced materials for fuel cells;
  • Advanced modelling approaches for fuel cell development;
  • Advances in gas diffusion layers;
  • Anion exchange membrane fuel cells;
  • Approaches for mass production of cells, stacks and systems;
  • Challenges and prospects for fuel cells in aviation and aerospace;
  • Decentralized heat and power supply with fuel cells;
  • Fuel cells for heavy-duty trucks;
  • Fuel cells for maritime applications;
  • Fuel cells for trains;
  • Global role of fuel cell technologies in future energy scenarios;
  • Highly efficient balance of plant components;
  • High-temperature PEFCs;
  • Hydrogen readiness for stationary fuel cell systems;
  • Innovative hybridization strategies for cost reduction and life-time extension;
  • Machine learning for fuel cell research and development;
  • Microbial fuel cells;
  • Mitigation of critical degradation modes in automotive fuel cells;
  • Mitigation of MEA degradation;
  • Novel approaches for system design and control;
  • Novel approaches to achieve cost reduction targets;
  • Novel electrocatalysts for fuel cells;
  • Perspectives for PEM fuel cells for automotive applications;
  • PGM-free catalysts for automotive fuel cells;
  • Reversible fuel cells;
  • Sustainable fuel options for fuel cell systems.

Dr. Remzi Can Samsun
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fuel cell systems
  • fuel cell vehicles
  • fuel cells
  • hydrogen fuel cells
  • PEFC
  • SOFC

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 4985 KiB  
Article
A Three-Dimensional Simulation Model for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells with Conventional and Bimetallic Catalyst Layers
by Stefanos Tzelepis, Kosmas A. Kavadias and George E. Marnellos
Energies 2023, 16(10), 4086; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104086 - 14 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 997
Abstract
A three-dimensional steady-state model has been developed to study the phenomena that occurs during Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell’s (PEMFC) operation. Electrochemical and transport phenomena on both the anode and cathode sides were investigated. Particular emphasis has been given to the composition and [...] Read more.
A three-dimensional steady-state model has been developed to study the phenomena that occurs during Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell’s (PEMFC) operation. Electrochemical and transport phenomena on both the anode and cathode sides were investigated. Particular emphasis has been given to the composition and structure of the catalyst layers (CLs), considering parameters such as the metal loading, the most effective specific metal surface, the agglomeration, and the particle size. In this context, two types of CLs were investigated. The first type concerns conventional CLs consisting of Pt/C, while the second type refers to bimetallic CLs consisting of Pt-Ru/C. In both cases, the CLs were examined for various loadings of Pt, Ru, and C to define the optimum atomic ratio for an enhanced PEMFC performance, while, in parallel, possible challenges are intedified. The mathematical model for simulating the entire phenomena and the method for modeling the bimetallic catalyst layers are presented. The results show a good agreement between the model and the experimental data reported in the literature. Additionally, the scenario of bimetallic CLs consisting of Pt-Ru/C with a ratio of 50-50 (Pt-Ru) significantly improved the overall PEMFC electrochemical performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fuel Cells: Latest Advances and Prospects)
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19 pages, 5192 KiB  
Article
Fuel Cell Trucks: Thermal Challenges in Heat Exchanger Layout
by Christian Doppler and Benedikt Lindner-Rabl
Energies 2023, 16(10), 4024; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104024 - 11 May 2023
Viewed by 1398
Abstract
Fuel cell powertrains have higher efficiencies compared to internal combustion engine powertrains, but—despite lower thermal losses—thermal requirements are noticeably higher. The commonly used Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell is highly sensitive to temperature deviations; hence specifications of coolant temperatures must be strictly observed. [...] Read more.
Fuel cell powertrains have higher efficiencies compared to internal combustion engine powertrains, but—despite lower thermal losses—thermal requirements are noticeably higher. The commonly used Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell is highly sensitive to temperature deviations; hence specifications of coolant temperatures must be strictly observed. Furthermore, their working-temperature level is closer to ambient air, requiring a more efficient cooling system. This work focuses on medium-duty and heavy-duty truck segments. The aim is to provide a possible optimization guideline for cooling system developers to select an adequate heat exchanger for available air mass flows. This energetical and thermal layout process is based on fuel cell module information provided by Plastic Omnium New Energies Wels GmbH, firstly by simple steady-state calculations and secondly by transient vehicle system simulations. To define the system to the full extent, the analyses cover full-load operation, VECTO cycles, real-driving cycles, and the highest ambient temperatures. Finally, an optimized system is presented, matching the best trade-off between heat exchanger size and mass flows. Results show a linear and then exponential increase in heat exchanger size with soaring thermal requirements. Thus, with a well-defined thermal layout validated on the full vehicle level, the lowest possible component sizes are identified at which still harshest mission profiles can be completed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fuel Cells: Latest Advances and Prospects)
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18 pages, 4925 KiB  
Article
Oxygen Reduction at PtNi Alloys in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells—Electrode Development and Characterization
by Ali Karaca, Andreas Glüsen, Klaus Wippermann, Scott Mauger, Ami C. Yang-Neyerlin, Steffen Woderich, Christoph Gimmler, Martin Müller, Guido Bender, Horst Weller, Marcelo Carmo and Detlef Stolten
Energies 2023, 16(3), 1115; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16031115 - 19 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1744
Abstract
Catalyst layers made from novel catalysts must be fabricated in a way that the catalyst can function to its full potential. To characterize a PtNi alloy catalyst for use in the cathode of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFCs), the effects of the manufacturing [...] Read more.
Catalyst layers made from novel catalysts must be fabricated in a way that the catalyst can function to its full potential. To characterize a PtNi alloy catalyst for use in the cathode of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFCs), the effects of the manufacturing technique, ink composition, layer composition, and catalyst loading were here studied in order to reach the maximum performance potential of the catalyst. For a more detailed understanding, beyond the DMFCs performance measurements, we look at the electrochemically active surface area of the catalyst and charge-transfer resistance, as well as the layer quality and ink properties, and relate them to the aspects stated above. As a result, we make catalyst layers with optimized parameters by ultrasonic spray coating that shows the high performance of the catalyst even when containing less Pt than commercial products. Using this approach, we can adjust the catalyst layers to the requirements of DMFCs, hydrogen fuel cells, or polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fuel Cells: Latest Advances and Prospects)
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16 pages, 3574 KiB  
Article
Alkaline Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell: Effect of the Anode Flow Field Design and the Setup Parameters on Performance
by Michaela Roschger, Sigrid Wolf, Kurt Mayer, Matthias Singer and Viktor Hacker
Energies 2022, 15(19), 7234; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15197234 - 01 Oct 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 7011
Abstract
Alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) represent an efficient energy conversion device for sustainable ethanol fuel. In this study, a design with new structural parameters for the anodic flow field of the alkaline DEFC was modeled with the aid of computational fluid dynamics [...] Read more.
Alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) represent an efficient energy conversion device for sustainable ethanol fuel. In this study, a design with new structural parameters for the anodic flow field of the alkaline DEFC was modeled with the aid of computational fluid dynamics and was then actually constructed. Single-cell tests were performed to evaluate the impact of the developed design on fuel cell performance. The results show that fuel cell performance significantly increased when using the improved design in the low-temperature range. The higher the temperature in the cell, the lower the influence of the flow field structure on performance. In addition, the influence of external factors, such as the orientation of the cell, the preheating of the fuel, and the direction of the two fuel flows relative to each other (co-current and counter-current), are shown. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fuel Cells: Latest Advances and Prospects)
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13 pages, 912 KiB  
Article
Structural Analysis of Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor End-Plates for High-Pressure Applications
by Riccardo Caponetto, Emanuela Privitera, Giuseppe Mirone and Fabio Matera
Energies 2022, 15(16), 5823; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15165823 - 11 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2273
Abstract
Transportation and portable applications already use hydrogen as fuel, but it is essential to use highly-efficient hydrogen storage methods to increase its usage in the future. The compressed form is the most utilized for transportation applications, but mechanical compressors have low efficiency when [...] Read more.
Transportation and portable applications already use hydrogen as fuel, but it is essential to use highly-efficient hydrogen storage methods to increase its usage in the future. The compressed form is the most utilized for transportation applications, but mechanical compressors have low efficiency when compressing low quantities of gas to high pressure. The most suitable device for hydrogen compression is the Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor (EHC). It has the same structure as a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEM-FC), but it works at very high-pressure ( 700 bar). The present work analyses the monopolar plate of an Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor prone to hydrogen embrittlement. Irregular shape variations generate peaks of stress magnitude and triaxiality, further contributing to decreasing metal ductility at the local scale. The calculation of the stress field in such components is essential due to the possibility of failure due to the material embrittlement caused by hydrogen. The paper presents a conceptual design of an EHC operating at 700 bar and focuses on the shape and the mechanical stress of the end-plates to have conservative levels of the nominal stress states, which then are taken as the design parameter for providing adequate structural integrity and mechanical reliability to the component. The FEM analysis with Marc software—of MSC Software Corporation—identified the optimal end-plates configuration in circular plan view and active area. The plate, sized to have a deflection no greater than 0.1mm when the EHC works at 700 bar, should have the minimum thickness of 17 mm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fuel Cells: Latest Advances and Prospects)
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34 pages, 5552 KiB  
Article
Deployment of Fuel Cell Vehicles and Hydrogen Refueling Station Infrastructure: A Global Overview and Perspectives
by Remzi Can Samsun, Michael Rex, Laurent Antoni and Detlef Stolten
Energies 2022, 15(14), 4975; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15144975 - 07 Jul 2022
Cited by 46 | Viewed by 8993
Abstract
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can complement other electric vehicle technologies as a zero-emission technology and contribute to global efforts to achieve the emission reduction targets. This article spotlights the current deployment status of fuel cells in road transport. For this purpose, data collection [...] Read more.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can complement other electric vehicle technologies as a zero-emission technology and contribute to global efforts to achieve the emission reduction targets. This article spotlights the current deployment status of fuel cells in road transport. For this purpose, data collection was performed by the Advanced Fuel Cells Technology Collaboration Programme. Moreover, the available incentives for purchasing a fuel cell vehicle in different countries were reviewed and future perspectives summarized. Based on the collected information, the development trends in the last five years were analyzed and possible further trends that could see the realization of the defined goals derived. The number of registered vehicles was estimated to be 51,437 units, with South Korea leading the market, with 90% of the vehicles being concentrated in four countries. A total of 729 hydrogen refueling stations were in operation, with Japan having the highest number of these. The analysis results clearly indicate a very positive development trend for fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen refueling stations in 2021, with the highest number of new vehicles and stations in a single year, paralleling the year’s overall economic recovery. Yet, a more ambitious ramp-up in the coming years is required to achieve the set targets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fuel Cells: Latest Advances and Prospects)
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Review

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15 pages, 2422 KiB  
Review
Heteroatom-Doped Carbon Supports with Enhanced Corrosion Resistance in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
by Alisa Kozhushner, Qing Li and Lior Elbaz
Energies 2023, 16(9), 3659; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16093659 - 24 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1883
Abstract
Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) are currently considered the most advanced fuel cell technology. However, the industrial implementation of PEMFCs is strongly hindered by deficient durability, especially that of the carbonaceous materials commonly used to support the platinum-based catalyst nanoparticles, which are [...] Read more.
Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) are currently considered the most advanced fuel cell technology. However, the industrial implementation of PEMFCs is strongly hindered by deficient durability, especially that of the carbonaceous materials commonly used to support the platinum-based catalyst nanoparticles, which are prone to electrochemical corrosion at the cathode, resulting in a serious performance loss of the entire cell. In the attempt to overcome this issue, many research groups have tried to introduce heteroatoms (N, S, B, P) into the carbon lattice, thus trying to make the electrode corrosion-resistant. Newly developed heteroatom-doped carbons were subjected to corrosion tests in half-cell and single-cell systems to evaluate their stability. This paper reviews the recent studies devoted to corrosion research of heteroatom-doped carbon supports for Pt-based catalysts in PEMFCs. In particular, an overview on N, B, and S dopants and their effects on carbon corrosion is provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fuel Cells: Latest Advances and Prospects)
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