Liquid catalyst aids fuel cell endurance
A patented liquid catalyst developed by ACAL Energy has enabled a PEM hydrogen fuel cell to reach 10,000 hours runtime on an automotive industry durability test without significant signs of degradation.
10,000 hours, the equivalent of 300,000 driven miles, is the point at which hydrogen fuel cell endurance is comparable to the best light-weight diesel engines under such test conditions.
This endurance exceeds the current 2017 US Department of Energy industry target for fuel cell powered vehicles to last 5,000 hours, equivalent to 150,000 road miles, with an expected degradation threshold of approximately 10 per cent.
ACAL Energy said that over the last 16 months it has put its proprietary design fuel cell through an industry standard automotive stress test protocol that simulates a 40-minute car journey with a start-stop at the end of each cycle.
The cycle, which was repeated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, mimics a vehicle journey with frequent stops, starts and a highway cruise. This particular test is employed to accelerate ageing and to test wear on car engines and fuel cell systems over time.
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