Eric M. Stuve, Per G. Reinhall, Joyce S. Cooper, Daniel T. Schwartz Departments of Chemical and Mechanical Engineering University of Washington To Build Tomorrow’s Fuel Cell Start with Tomorrow’s Fuel Cell Engineer - Part I

Fuel Cell Design Project (1996-pres.) –ChemE capstone design special project50 –ME capstone design & ugrad. research114 –EE & MSE students9 Fuel Cell Engineering (1998-pres.) –Lecture / HW / project course –Technical support for F/C project –UW students83 –Distance learning (EDGE) students67 (Ballard, UTC-Fuel Cells, Honeywell, Ford, etc.) Fuel Cell Design Experience Fuel Cell Ugrad. Research ( ) –Single cell MEA-PEM development10 Part I Part II

Technical Goals H 2 /air fuel cell system, fully contained –10 kW ( Volts) –Proton exchange membrane (PEM) system (80 °C) –Safe for student operation in public arena Application: Prime mover for a locomotive –18 in. gauge (approx. 1/3 scale) –Pull two passenger coaches –Use for Open House demonstrations Other applications –SAE car, radio, H0 scale train, etc.

Educational Goals - I Integrate classroom learning with real system –Follow a project through concept, planning, execution, and evaluation –Couple research and design: students must learn how to learn, analyze data from different sources –Complex system with uncertain outcome: the pressure is on! Work in interdisciplinary groups –Standard in industry, should be in academics, too –Combine different skill sets … and different attitudes! –Communicate with peers, superiors, and non-specialists –Develop leadership and time management skills

Educational Goals - II Job placement –Provide engineers trained in the art of fuel cells –Over 10 students currently in F/C industry, more to follow Public outreach –Engineers work in a social and cultural context –Engineers make decisions that affect other people –Engineers must involve other constituencies, e.g. with safety The “romance of trains” –It’s just plain fun!

Three Levels of Design

Student Groups Single Cell (ChemE, MSE) –Develop & optimize working fuel cell (MEA) Stack (ME/ChemE) –Connect multiple cells in series (~160) –Flow field plates & seals Test stand (ME/ChemE) –Systems (balance of plant) requirements Chassis & Drivetrain (ME) –Design and construct loco & coaches Power controller (EE) –Interface F/C to motor Safety (all) –Monitor groups’ efforts Others –Web design –Fundraising

Technical Accomplishments -I Fuel Cell –MEA preparation procedure with ~30 process steps –Achieved 0.26 A/cm 2 at 0.6 V (factor of 2-4 off industry) –Four years to this point Stack –Working/sealed stack, 4 x 6 in 2 nom. (80 cm 2 actual) –Achieved 7 A at 2 V from four-cell stack –Two years to this point Test stand/BOP –Many versions built, now integrating computer data acquisition

Glycerol TBOH MeOH Sonicate Nafion soln. Binder H O 2 NaCl Soak CleanNa form + N 2 Dry Hot Press 130 C H SO C H form + DI H O soak. 2 MEA Preparation

0 E  / V j / A cm – A B A: MEA w/ ID-FFP B: MEA w/ serp-FFP 0.26 A/cm 2 at 0.6 V Single Cell Data

Carl Ljungholm Matt Thompson Elisa Baris Chris Green Christy Silverman Greg Martin Jon Bumgardner

Serpentine Flow Field Plate

Large Test Stand Small Test Stand

Test Stand Schematic

Technical Accomplishments - II Rolling stock –Locomotive with 13 hp elec. motor –Two, 6-passenger coaches, mahogany benches, covered –Awaiting the fuel cell … Safety –SOPs for various procedures –Only one explosion … no permanent injuries –Understand H 2 /O 2 safety much better –Learned to avoid end-of-quarter rush

Lessons Learned Never underestimate safety –Project not sanitized! –Students over-confident, under-experienced Combined research and design difficult –Good research requires skills of a graduate student –Accomplishing goals requires teamwork –Need both the individualist and team player (like the real world!) Communication is #1 headache (like the real world) Time management is #2 (like the real world … ugh!) Need more work on project documentation and archives

UW & Distance Learning Students Worldwide Course Outline: –Principles of electrochemical energy conversion –Single cells –Stack engineering –Systems engineering –Safety concerns Fuel Cell Engineering Course

Road Map for Quarter

H O 2 H 2 O 2 2 N PEMGDL H + H O drag 2 H O diff 2 H 2 O 2 H O 2 AnodeCathode H O 2 Make H 2 O T=80 0 C 43 Model of Springer, et al.

Corner gasket H 2 O 2 Manifold Stack 121 H2H2 O2H2OO2H2O Stack Manifolding

Flow & Control Systems Flow control Flow meter Memb Motor Radiator Humid Flow Resistor Level

Integrating the ChemE Curriculum with Fuel Cells Build 5 kW fuel cell system for Unit Ops. Lab (two year project funded by Dreyfus/UTRC) Every UW ChemE student will get experience in fuel cells

CHEM E 445 (1998-) Fuel Cell Engineering 83 UW students 67 Distance Learning students Graduate Program (Participating faculty: Adler, Bordia, Cooper, Jenkins, Kramlich, Malte, Overney, Reinhall, Schwartz, Stuve) Lifelong Learning Training to F/C industry Jobs in F/C Industry 16% of students in F/C industry UTC Fuel Cells Plug Power Idatek Honeywell CHEM E Core Curriculum F/C system for undergraduate lab; all students to study fuel cells Interdisciplinary Fuel Cell Design Experience CHEM E / ENVIR / M E / PHYS 341, 342 Energy and Environment I, II M E 395 Introduction to Mechanical Design CHEM E 485 Process Design I CHEM E 461 Electrochemical Engineering Institutional Support: CHEM E, ME, CoE NSF-ECSEL External Support Dreyfus UTRC Ford UTC Fuel Cells Honeywell Outcomes Lead-In Courses & Institutional Support M E 415 Sustainability and Design for the Environment M E 430 Advanced Energy Conversion Other Engineering Design EE – 6 students MSE – 3 students CHEM E 497 (1996-) Special Projects in Chemical Engineering Design 50 students M E Design & Research (1996-) Mechanical Engineering Design 114 students Capstone Design Project

What’s in the Future? ChemE Curriculum Development –F/C is excellent example of integrating teaching & research –Project work & course development spawn research ideas –Specific F/C applications are examples of product design –Improve project management and work skills of students UW F/C Research Development –10 faculty (ChemE, ME, & MSE) working on PEM, SOFC, LCA, fundamentals –Pacific Northwest Energy Institute (Engineering, Business, Economics, Environmental Policy) F/C Curriculum Development –Certificate program in F/C Engineering Intro, F/C Engr., SOFC, Power Engr., Adv. F/C Engr. –Available worldwide through EDGE

Acknowledgements All the students!!!! Russ Noe and the ME student shop Bruce Finlayson (ChemE) Reiner Decher (A&A), Rich Christie (EE), Brian Flinn (MSE), Sossina Haile (MSE; now at Cal Tech) NSF-ECSEL for major funding ChemE, ME Depts; College of Engineering Dreyfus Foundation Industrial Support –UTRC –Ford –UTC Fuel Cells –Siemens –Honeywell