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From Lab to ManufacturingChallenges in the mass manufacture of AFCs

Dr Vivien ChapmanSenior ScientistAFC Energy Plc

PROJECT LASER-CELL IS FUNDED BY

THE FUEL CELLS AND HYDROGEN JOINT UNDERTAKINGhttp://www.fch.europa.eu/ of 33

http://www.fch.europa.eu/

PROJECT LASER-CELL (278674) D5.2 SINGLE CELL TESTING METHODOLOGY

Project LASER-CELL

With funding from:

DELIVERABLE REPORT DELIVERABLE

N0. DELIVERABLE NAME DATE AUTHOR

D7.8 WORKSHOP II PRESENTATION GIVEN AT LANCASTER UNIVERSITY

DECEMBER 2014

AFCEN

SUMMARY The main results of project LASER-CELL were presented to an academic audience, and set

DISTRIBUTION All consortium members + project officer

VERSION 1.0 WORK PACKAGE 5

PROJECT LASER-CELL: Innovative cell and stack design for stationary industrial applications

using novel laser processing techniques

LASER-CELL CONSORTIUM

BENEFICIARY NUMBER

BENEFICIARY NAME SHORT NAME

COUNTRY

1 (COORDINATOR) AFC ENERGY PLC AFCEN UK

2 CENCORP OYJ CNC FINLAND

3 TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS – TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE

VTT FINLAND

4 AIR PRODUCTS LTD AIRP UK

5 NANOCYL S. A. NCL BELGIUM

6 UNIVERSITÄT DUISBURG – ESSEN UDE GERMANY

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PROJECT LASER-CELL (278674) D5.2 SINGLE CELL TESTING METHODOLOGY

TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... 3 Conference flier .................................................................................................................................... 4 Presentation .......................................................................................................................................... 5

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THE INDUSTRIAL FUEL CELL POWER COMPANY

INVITES YOU TO A WORKSHOP :

CHALLENGES IN THE MASS PRODUCTION

OF ALKALINE FUEL CELL SUBSTRATES

Dr Vivien CHAPMAN will share her expertise in taking lab-based research into an industrial context,

using project LASER-CELL as a case study

DATE: WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER

TIME: 14:00

VENUE: GEORGE FOX LT1, LANCASTER UNIVERSITY

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From Lab to Manufacturing

ConceptConcept DevelopmentDevelopment PilotPilot ManufactureManufacture

Fine TuningFine TuningFine TuningFine Tuning

Fundamental Research Experimentation Modelling/Simulation Cost Models

Prototyping Process Development Cost Models

Increased Throughput Waste Reduction

AcademiaResearch Institutions

AcademiaResearch InstitutionsCompanies

AcademiaResearch InstitutionsCompanies

Companies

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AFC Energy Plc: An Introduction

Vision

To develop and produce a reliable alkaline fuel cell system at a commercially acceptable cost vs. alternative existing energy systems

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AFC Energy Plc: An Introduction

History

• Formed 2006 (listed on AIM)

• Based in Surrey, UK

• 48 staff (35 technical)

• Funded by private investors and EU grants

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Why Alkaline FCs?

Type Operating Temp (°C) Efficiency (%) Applications

Alkalinenon-platinum

70 55 – 60 Industrial stationary

Alkalineplatinum

70 60 Space, Military

Molten Carbonate 600 - 700 45 - 47 Large utility

Solid Oxide 600 - 1000 35 – 43 Auxiliary power

PEM 50-10025 – 3553 – 58

Back up powerTransportation

Direct Methanol 60 - 90 30 – 35 Portable power

Phosphoric Acid 150 - 200 40 – 50 Industrial Stationary

Sources: USDoE - www.hydogen.energy.gov, www.americanhistory.si.edu

AFCs have the potential to offer the highest efficiency for the lowest cost

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http://www.hydogen.energy.gov/

Company Strategy

• Focused on stationary applications

• Installations at source of H2

• Low-cost, recyclable materials

• Modern manufacturing methods

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Note: Assumes £55/MWh wholesale price and £35/MWh for green credits at 55% efficiency

Markets: Chlor-Alkali

• 1% of the world’s electricity consumption

• Produces the equivalent of >£300m of electricity as surplus hydrogen per year

• Global industry could support more than 3000 MW of generating capacity

Copyright AFC Energy PLC 2012 of 33

Fuel Streams and Markets

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KORE system

AFC Energy’s first large scale industrial platform

• 240 kW installation

• Based at Air Products, Stade Germany

• Transition to high volume manufacture

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Electrodes and Stack Concept

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Electrode manufacture: Concept

Gas diffusion Liquid diffusion

H2O

H2O

OH–

O2

O2

Electron flow Materials Challenges:

• Good electrical conductivity

• Corrosion resistant in alkaline media

• High gas permeability

• Low liquid permeability

• High catalytic activity

• Robust

• Cheap

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Electrode manufacture: Process

F. Bidault et al., J. Power Sources, 187 (2009) 39-48

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Scale-Up: Continuous Process

Using high volume processes from the baking and plastics industries

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http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=cUUYdMisvfIdbM&tbnid=skF06PWx4X_TZM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.directindustry.com/prod/leistritz-extrusionstechnik-gmbh/twin-screw-extruders-96283-883347.html&ei=ogzYUpneMYrJ0QXp2IFQ&bvm=bv.59568121,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNHWUj6fsPRIaqa3g6vMFAla5TmHQA&ust=1389977046922172

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=cUUYdMisvfIdbM&tbnid=skF06PWx4X_TZM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.directindustry.com/prod/leistritz-extrusionstechnik-gmbh/twin-screw-extruders-96283-883347.html&ei=ogzYUpneMYrJ0QXp2IFQ&bvm=bv.59568121,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNHWUj6fsPRIaqa3g6vMFAla5TmHQA&ust=1389977046922172

Scale up

Batch Process

Continuous Process

Approximately 20,000 fuel cell electrodes per annum

Automated line will be able to deliver up to 200,000 electrodes per annum

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Automated Stacking

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Project Laser-Cell: A Case Study

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

AFC stack cost drivers

Control and Electronics

Miscellaneous stack items

Manifold Plates

Box and Assembly

Fuel cell chemicals

Nickel components

Manufacturing

Problem: The cost of FC substrates is prohibitively high for large-scale systems

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Substrate Design Requirements

• The substrate is a highly complex component

• There are currently no appropriate mass-manufacturing techniques

Design Requirements

Good electrical conductivity

Corrosion resistant in alkaline media

Good mechanical strength and flexibility

Ability to be machined/extruded in different shapes and sizes

Precise hole size/porosity

Easy to seal

Inexpensive

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Air

Air

KOH Crystals

H2

H2

Product H2O

Precise control over hole size and porosity is crucial to operation of the substrate

Case 1: Hole size too large

Anodewater flooding

CathodeIncreased drying → crystal formation

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Air

Air

H2

H2

Precise control over hole size and porosity is crucial to operation of the substrate

Case 2: Hole size too small

Anodewater cannot escape

CathodeAir starvation

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Aims of the Project

1. To develop a low-cost, high throughput substrate manufacturing process

Laser-based processes were deemed to have the best chance of success

2. To develop novel substrate base materials

3. To develop models for predicting the performance and cost of AFC designs

Project was commenced in December 2011 and completed November 2014

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Consortium

Partner Contribution

AFC Energy PlcUK

Project Co-ordinator, Fuel cell stack design and testing

CencorpFinland

Develop and optimise production cell for high-speed laser drilling

VTTFinland

Develop and optimise laser sintering process for polymers and metals

NanocylBelgium

Lead investigation of optimal substrate material, develop suitable novel substrate materials

UDEGermany

Modelling tools to assist in optimal stack design, cost analysis of all materials and manufacturing processes, LCA of final cell

Air ProductsUK

Market analysis for the Laser-Cell AFC stack

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Goals • Improve the electrode manufacturing

• Compare two different laser processes and select the most suitable process

Work Done• Laser drilling process selected and justified

• Best possible equipment for laser drilling tested and selected

• Material for Beta size electrodes chosen and process parameters tested

• Prototype machine developed and manufactured

Cencorp: Laser-Drilling Technology

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Key Results

• Beta series of electrodes manufactured

• Drilling speed raised to economical level

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Fuel Cell Stack Results

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VTT: Laser-Sintering

• The objective of the sintering work was to speed up the manufacturing process of porous fuel cell substrate.

• State of the art with commercial equipment is 1 – 3 mm3/s and the goal in the project was 7 cm3/min (about 120 mm3/s)

• For the laser sintering line optics was used instead of a single focus spot sintering.

• Good results were achieved with pure nickel powder. Some mixtures of polymer and carbon nanotubes were tested but without any remarkable success.

• With the experimental set up used in the project 6 cm wide substrates were sintered as maximum.

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Laser Sintering

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Key Results: Laser Sintering

• Performance of laser sintered substrates is almost as good as current standard substrate of AFC

• However the mechanical stability and the homogeneity of the structures in the specimens have to be slightly improved

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20

Ce

ll V

olt

age

(V

)

Current Density (A/cm2)

AFC Standard

50 micron

20 micron

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Acknowledgements

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Thank you for your kind attentionfor more information please visit

www.afcenergy.com

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http://www.afcenergy.com/

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