Power-MEE

Increasing Lifetime and Power Density of PEMWEs by High

Performance Membrane Electrode Assemblies

Richard Hanke-Rauschenbach

Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institute for Electric Power Systems

on behalf of the Power-MEE consortium

Spokesperson/contact: Simon Thiele, si.thiele(at)fz-juelich.de

Outline

Introduction to the Power-MEE project

Highlights

Conclusion & Outlook

2POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

Project Idea of Power-MEE

3

How can we improve conversion efficiency?

How can we understand and prevent ageing?

How can can we improve current materials?

State of the art Power-MEE

POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

Origin of POWER-MEE idea:

Direct Membrane Deposition (DMD) for PEM Fuel Cells

4

Catalyst coated membrane (CCM)

Direct membrane deposition (DMD)

Fabrication methods

Inkjet-Printing1 ✓

Spray-coating2 ✓

Drop-casting3 ✓

[1] Klingele et al., Journal of Materials Chemistry A 3.21 (2015): 11239-11245

[2] Klingele et al., Electrochemistry Communications (2016), 70, 65-68

[3] Wehkamp et al., RSC Advances 6.29 (2016): 24261-24266

membrane

catalyst layer

gas diffusion layer

POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

Origin of POWER-MEE idea:

Direct Membrane Deposition (DMD) for PEM Fuel Cells

5

0.5/0.5 mgPt/cm², H2/O2, 0.5/0.5 l/min; 70 °C, 100 % RH, 300/300 kPaabs

Klingele et al., Journal of Materials Chemistry A 3.21 (2015): 11239-11245.

H2/O2, 0.25/0.5 l/min, 80 °C, 95 % RH, atmospheric

pressure

Gore select (15 µm)

POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

POWER-MEE: Overall Aim and Project Team

6

Investigate and develop high performance MEAs

for PEM electrolysis

Novel membrane materials (U Stuttgart/ICVT)

Novel membrane manufacturing processes

(U Freiburg/IMTEK)

GDE catalyst layer manufacturing (Hahn-

Schickard)

Tomographic reconstruction and modeling

(U Hannover, U Freiburg/IMTEK)

Ageing protocols and testing (Fraunhofer ISE)

POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

Outline

Introduction to the Power-MEE project

Highlights

Conclusion & Outlook

7POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

Novel catalyst layer manufacturing methods:

Spray-coating of IrO2 on Ti-powder and fiber sinters

8

Goals for electrode manufacturing

PTE based approach

Optimum low-loading layers

Changing electrode morphology

Final design of the DMD electrodes in POWER-MEE.

PEM

IrO2-Catalyst

Titanium

Carbon

Pt-Catalyst

PEM

Anode

Cathode

POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

Novel catalyst layer manufacturing methods:

Spray-coating of IrO2 on Ti-powder and fiber sinters

9

100 µm

IrO2

Ti-PTL

100 µm

Goal: a porous transport electrode with small/no holes to deposit the membrane on top

Porous transport layers: powder sinter (left) and fiber sinter (right)

POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

Novel catalyst layer manufacturing methods:

Spray-coating of IrO2 on Ti-powder and fiber sinters

Our PTEs have only 1.5 mg/cm2 IrO2 compared to 2 mg/cm2 IrO2 in commercial benchmarks

0 400 800 1200 1600 2000 2400 2800 3200

1,2

1,4

1,6

1,8

2,0

2,2

U in

V

I in mA/cm2

HFR free

0 400 800 1200 1600 2000 2400 2800 3200

1,2

1,4

1,6

1,8

U in

V

I in mA/cm2

80°C, 1 bar 80°C, 1 bar

Commercial benchmark

Novel approach - advanced

Standardlayer IrO2

Novel approach

Commercial benchmark

Novel approach - advanced

Novel approach

PTEs: 1.5 mg/cm2 IrO2 PTEs: 1.5 mg/cm2 IrO2

Fiber sinter substrates Fiber sinter substrates

Standardlayer IrO2

POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis 10

POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis 11

N212

N115

N212

N115+ Pt + Nafion

N117

~ 180 µm

Sandwich

~ 180 µm

Pt Interlayer

~ 200 µm

N212N212

Novel membrane manufacturing processes:

Direct membrane deposition composite membranes

Tomographic reconstruction of catalyst layers:

FIB-SEM tomographic procedure

12

FuelCellsEtc

EZ-CCM

POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

Modeling support of material development

FuelCellsEtc EZ CCM

Anode catayst IrRuOx (unsupported)

Anode Loading 3 mg/cm²

Resolution 20 nm

Field of view 29 µm x 24 µm x 7 µm

POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

Modeling support of material development

14

Usable for investigation of

• Degradation

• Manufacturing Process

POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

Modeling support of material development

15POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

Outline

Introduction to the Power-MEE project

Highlights

Conclusion & Outlook

16POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

POWER-MEE: Overall Aim and Project Team

Investigate and develop high performance MEAs for

PEM electrolysis

Novel membrane materials (U Stuttgart/ICVT)

Novel membrane manufacturing processes

(U Freiburg/IMTEK)

GDE catalyst layer manufacturing (Hahn-

Schickard)

Tomographic reconstruction and modeling

(U Hannover, U Freiburg/IMTEK)

Ageing protocols and testing (Fraunhofer ISE)

Interested in testing our materials?

Interested in a collaboration? Pleas contact us!

POWER-MEE: Novel concepts and components for high performance MEAs for PEM water electrolysis

Power-MEE

Increasing Lifetime and Power Density of PEMWEs by High

Performance Membrane Electrode Assemblies

Richard Hanke-Rauschenbach

Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institute for Electric Power Systems

on behalf of the Power-MEE consortium

Spokesperson/contact: Simon Thiele, si.thiele(at)fz-juelich.de

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST!