Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE

DEKADE – German Canadian Fuel Cell Cooperation: Diagnosis and Development of Components for Automotive Fuel Cells

Duration: January 2017 - December 2019
Contracting Authority/ Sponsors: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) / Projektträger Jülich (PTJ)
Project Partners: University of Freiburg, Greenerity GmbH
Project Focus:
Current density at potentials of 200 mV dependent on the catalyst loading. The catalyst layers had different ionomer contents. As screen printing was the manufacturing method, the catalyst layers‘ thickness increased with Pt loading. An optimum ionomer contenct of approximately 30 wt% was found.
© Fraunhofer ISE
Current density at potentials of 200 mV dependent on the catalyst loading. The catalyst layers had different ionomer contents. As screen printing was the manufacturing method, the catalyst layers‘ thickness increased with Pt loading. An optimum ionomer contenct of approximately 30 wt% was found.
Polarization curves at 100% relative humidity of catalyst coated membranes (CCMs) with trough-plane gradients in the catalyst layer regarding ionomer content. A structured catalyst layer (blue) with high ionomer content near membrane and low ionomer content near gas diffusion layer is compared to two homogeneous catalyst layers (green: ionomer content of 25 % and orange: ionomer content of 30 %).
© Fraunhofer ISE
Polarization curves at 100% relative humidity of catalyst coated membranes (CCMs) with trough-plane gradients in the catalyst layer regarding ionomer content. A structured catalyst layer (blue) with high ionomer content near membrane and low ionomer content near gas diffusion layer is compared to two homogeneous catalyst layers (green: ionomer content of 25 % and orange: ionomer content of 30 %).

DEKADE is targeting two scientific approaches:

 

  1. Modelling of the membrane electrode assembly to optimize the structure and composition
  2. Innovative structuring of the catalyst layer by through-plane gradients regarding ionomer and Pt catalyst distribution

Fraunhofer ISE developed a model to describe the performance of a catalyst layer, which allows the analysis of the through-plane phenomena. In addition various catalyst layers with several sublayers were manufactured. These catalyst layers contained gradients in the ionomer and Pt contents from membrane to gas diffusion layer.