Watching water
Scientists are now able to conduct detailed surveillance of water inside hydrogen fuel cells, a piece of intelligence that is key to making the technology practical for powering future vehicles.
Using a new and improved imaging instrument at the US
(NIST), scientists can survey water inside hydrogen fuel cells. This capability is key to making the technology practical for powering future automobiles.
With visualization powers 10 times better than those achieved previously, researchers can “see” water production and removal in fuel cells under a range of simulated operating conditions, from arctic cold to desert heat.
‘This as-it-happens, inside view is essential because fuel-cell performance depends on a delicate balance,’ explained NIST physicist Muhammad Arif, who leads the NIST team that developed the instrument. ‘Too little - or too much - water can shut it down.’
In fuel cells, which are stacks of battery-like devices, water is the by-product of the chemical process that uses electrons stripped from hydrogen molecules to generate electricity. With the newly commissioned Neutron Imaging Facility, water quantities smaller than one microgram are revealed, and details as small as 0.02mm can be discerned in images. Even better spatial resolution is expected.
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