Fuel Cell Development

Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), also known as polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, are a type of fuel cell being developed mainly for transport applications, as well as for stationary fuel-cell applications and portable fuel-cell applications.

PEM electrolysis splits water using an acidic non-liquid electrolyte and directly produces hydrogen at purity of 99.99 vol% and up to 99.999 vol%. This technology has a higher partial load range and rapid response to system changes. The solid membrane of PEM electrolyzers enables compact design of the system and provides faster response to load variation and dynamic operation. This technology is mature and proven for early commercial small-scale hydrogen production. Yet, due to the high cost of polymeric membrane, noble metal catalysts, and materials for the bipolar plates, it is facing some challenges for commercialization at large scale. 

Several studies have been conducted considering first row transition materials based on iron, nickel, zinc, copper, and cobalt. Due to its abundance, high activity, and relatively low cost, cobalt-based catalysts are considered as a promising alternative for Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER).

Control Ex can assist in the design and implementation of an automated testing protocol to advance the selection of a promising chemical component, for use as either a catalyst or a barrier. All of this includes your reaction mechanism along with our system of sensors, control and data acquisition. One can test several paths at the same time, collect data for review, and the ability to modify your experimentation.