Imagine a battery that doesn't run out of juice but instead uses hydrogen to power massive vehicles. This project is like upgrading the engine's internal parts to stop them from wearing out too quickly during long, tough trips. It's about making sure these power plants can last for years without losing their strength.
Heavy-duty transport requires fuel cells that can withstand harsh usage without degrading quickly. Current stacks often suffer from irreversible performance losses and lack the durability needed for cost-competitive industrial use.
A public open-design platform for PEMFC stacks and virtual sensor algorithms for real-time operational monitoring.
If you are a truck manufacturer dealing with short fuel cell lifespans in long-haul fleets — this project developed a stable stack design that targets more than 20,000 hours of operation with less than 10% losses. This ensures vehicles stay on the road longer with fewer replacements.
If you are a shipbuilder dealing with the harsh conditions of sea transport — this project developed an open-design platform for fuel cells that balances efficiency and durability. It provides a building-block for high-power demand in large-scale vessels.
If you are a rail company dealing with high power requirements and frequent performance drops — this project developed virtual sensor algorithms to optimize operating conditions. This prevents irreversible damage to the stack during demanding driving cycles.
The project aims for cost-competitive exploitation by increasing durability to over 20,000 hours, which reduces the frequency of expensive stack replacements.
The technology is assessed using cells of at least 280 cm² in stacks ranging from 3 to 10 kW to represent heavy-duty use-cases.
The project will deliver a public open-design platform, suggesting a strategy focused on shared technical standards to empower industrial adoption.
Integration is handled via an improved balance of stack (BoS) and a control chain that manages the interface between the stack and the overall system.
The project period runs from 2023-06-01 to 2026-12-31, with results expected by the end of 2026.
The consortium is heavily industry-weighted with 5 industrial partners (56% ratio), including 3 SMEs, indicating a strong focus on commercial viability. It spans 6 countries (AT, DE, DK, FR, SE, SI), combining the research power of CEA with specialized industrial expertise across the PEMFC value chain.
Contact the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) in France.
Contact us to explore licensing opportunities for the open-design PEMFC platform.
