Fuel Cell Membranes, Catalysts, and Stack Management
Student teams investigate platinum free catalysts and membrane electrode assembly durability, with emphasis on proton transport, water management, and thermal regulation under realistic duty cycles. Methods include electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, gas diffusion layer microstructure tuning, computational fluid dynamics for water and oxygen transport, and thermal modeling to maintain stable operating temperatures. The goal is higher efficiency and longer service life for vehicle scale polymer electrolyte fuel cells.
Liquid Hydrogen Storage, Materials, and Safety Components
Work centers on material behavior and component reliability in cryogenic conditions. Students study hydrogen embrittlement in structural alloys and seals using microscopy, mechanical testing with an environmental chamber, and molecular dynamics for atomic scale diffusion. Parallel efforts examine multi layer insulation and radiation shielding to reduce heat ingress, along with durability testing of valves, pipelines, and connectors required for safe fueling and storage.
Cryogenic Heat Use and Boil off Gas Control
Students design and evaluate systems that capture cold energy from liquid hydrogen storage and repurpose it for auxiliary cooling in logistics applications. Efforts include thermodynamic analysis, MATLAB and Simulink based system models, and benchtop prototypes to validate energy recovery concepts. Complementary tasks address boil off gas handling to increase overall fuel utilization and reduce losses during storage and operation.
Vehicle Module Integration and Demonstration
Teams integrate fuel cell power, storage tanks, and balance of plant into a vehicle module suitable for logistics, then evaluate performance against emerging certification and standardization requirements. Activities include interface design, controls, safety instrumentation for cryogenic operation, and preparation for demonstration of liquid hydrogen powered vehicles. This strand connects laboratory results to a cohesive platform that can be shown in practice.
