Low Cost Electrodes for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: Performance in Single Cells and Ballard Stacks

Abstract

For widespread exploitation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) the cost of the stack must be reduced, and the performance per unit volume increased. Significant cost reduction has been achieved by the development of a high‐volume, low cost, electrode manufacturing process and from reductions in the electrode precious metal catalyst loadings. The performance of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) employing printed cathodes (⩽0.6 mg Pt/cm²) and anodes (⩽0.25 mg Pt/cm², 0.12 mg Ru/cm²) in Ballard Mark V single‐cell and advanced‐stack hardware are at least comparable to current stack MEAs comprising high loading unsupported platinum black electrodes containing 4.0 mg Pt/cm². Optimum cell performance has provided high power densities of 0.42 W/cm² at 0.7 V. Furthermore, under motive and utility test conditions, the low‐cost electrodes show minimal loss in performance after over 3000 h of stack operation and, in short and full sized stacks, the cell‐to‐cell reproducibility is excellent, highlighting the high consistency of product available from the electrode manufacturing process. Incorporation of the low cost electrodes in commercial PEMFC stacks is anticipated in the near future.