PolKa

© BMWE

POLKA: Production and functionalization of interconnected porous carbon fiber cathodes for use in platinum-free high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Joint project coordination
TUD Dresden University of Technology - Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology

Brief description

In the "PolKa" research project, the Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology (TUD-ILK) and the Institute of Process Engineering and Environmental Technology (TUD-IVU) at TU Dresden are working on the development of novel cathode structures for high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs). These have the potential to improve the electrochemical process kinetics through higher operating temperatures, increase the resistance of the cathodes to impurities and simplify cooling. These advantages are of central importance for use in aviation, where the aerodynamic resistance of large heat exchangers must be minimized [1]. Despite their potential, HT-PEMFCs are still at an early stage of development, which requires considerable research efforts. The aim of the "PolKa" project is to develop novel, high-performance and platinum-free cathode structures for HT-PEMFCs based on porous carbon fibers (pCF), which serve as a gas-permeable and simultaneously catalytically active cathode material. By substituting platinum as a catalyst, these should offer the potential to significantly reduce the costs of future HT-PEMFCs. Special emphasis is placed on the production of an interconnecting pore structure and on optimizing the catalytic activity by activating the carbon fibers (CFs) and coating pCF using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). At TUD-ILK, the continuous production of tailor-made pCFs is being investigated, whereby a multi-scale pore structure consisting of interconnecting meso- and macropores is adjusted in a targeted manner in order to maximize both gas transport and catalytic activity. In parallel, the TUD-IVU is investigating the coating of these fibers with non-platinum metals using the PLD process to analyze synergies between the surface structure and the electrochemical properties of the metals.