HYDROGEN MEMBRANE
In October 2004, PolyFuel introduced
a second breakthrough in fuel cell membrane technology
that will allow automotive manufacturers to produce smaller,
lighter, lower cost, more durable and more efficient automotive
fuel cell engines. PolyFuel’s
new hydrocarbon membrane for hydrogen fuel cells is
being tested at virtually all of the world's leading
automotive fuel cell vehicle manufacturers.
With the membrane as the heart of
a fuel cell, it should not be surprising that all of
the critical requirements of an automotive fuel cell
vehicle map directly to the requirements of a hydrogen
membrane. In fact, most of the shortcomings of today’s
automotive fuel cell engine are due to the inability
of fluorocarbon membrane technology to meet these requirements.
Key fuel cell
engine requirements
map directly to the membrane
The membrane
is the key to solving the fuel
cell engine problem
PolyFuel carefully
listened to the needs of automotive fuel cell system
developers and engineered a breakthrough hydrogen membrane
specifically for their
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requirements. The results
have been dramatic. First and foremost, the new membrane
is based upon a hydrocarbon — rather than a fluorocarbon
— polymer that is substantially less expensive.
In addition the new membrane can operate more stably
at lower levels of humidification, and at both higher
and lower operating temperatures. Furthermore, in PolyFuel’s
accelerated lifetime testing, the new PolyFuel hydrogen
membrane technology has demonstrated a 35% to 50% increase
in durability when compared to fluorocarbon membranes.
The net result of PolyFuel’s hydrogen membrane
technology breakthrough is that automakers will be able
to design fuel cell engines that will have a lower capital
cost, lower operating costs, greater operating flexibility
and higher overall efficiency. It’s no wonder
that the world’s leading automotive companies
are excited about our hydrogen membrane technology.
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