Canadian Scientists Say They've Found Recipe for Cheaper, More Efficient Fuel Cell

Canadian Scientists Say They've Found Recipe for Cheaper, More Efficient Fuel Cell

By Scott Doggett December 2, 2009

Fuel cells are often touted as one method to help decrease society's addiction to fossil fuels, but there is still a lot of work to be done before fuel cells will be ready for mass market to be used to power electric vehicles or to generate electricity for a grid.

One of the main issues surrounding the development of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells is working temperature - specifically, their ability to work at high temperatures.

Canadian researchers George Shimizu, Jeff Hurd, Ramanathan Vaidhyanathan and Venkataraman Thangadurai of the University of Calgary, and Christopher Ratcliffe and Igor Moudrakovski of the Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences at Canada's National Research Council, claim to have discovered a new material that allows PEM fuel cells to work at high temperatures.

The scientists and others are touting the discovery as being important in terms of increasing the efficiency and decreasing the cost of PEM fuel cells.

"This research will alter the way researchers have to this point perceived candidate materials for fuel cell applications," said Shimizu, a chemistry professor at the university who last year applied for a U.S. patent for the material.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device that converts the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water and electrical energy. Water usually carries the protons in a hydrogen fuel cell, but this research uses higher boiling molecules trapped in a molecular scaffolding.

Currently, PEM fuel cells can produce energy from hydrogen below 90 degrees Celsius (194 degrees Fahrenheit), just under the boiling point of water. With Shimizu's material, energy can be produced at a higher temperature, up to 150 C (302 degrees Fahrenheit).

This could ultimately make the fuel cell cheaper to produce because at a higher temperature less expensive metals can be used to convert hydrogen into energy. Currently, platinum is used and it's extremely expensive. Also, reactions at a higher temperature would be faster, thus increasing efficiency.

"Ours is an entirely new approach that strikes a balance between having a regular molecular structure and mobile components all while showing genuine promise of application," said co-author Hurd, who is a doctoral candidate studying chemistry at the university.

Kevin Colbow, director of research and development at hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer Ballard Power Systems, a company that designs and manufactures  hydrogen fuel cells, described  the work significant.

"We believe that further improvement on conductivity and robustness of these materials could provide next generation membranes for PEM fuel cells," he said.

More information about the work of the Canadian scientists can be found in a paper they authored, "Anhydrous Proton Conduction at 150 Degrees C in a Crystalline Metal-Organic Framework," in the October 18 issue of Nature Chemistry (payment required).

Scott Doggett:  is an AutoObserver.com Associate Editor.