Novel Fuel Cell Designs

Fuel cells are more efficient and less polluting than current forms of energy conversion. One of the major hurdles restricting fuel cell production is the cost and limited versatility of the membrane. This area of fuel cells is being researched in order to create better membranes that contain a polymeric additive to Nafion. Nafion is a costly component of the membrane, thus the goal is to limit its use. The ultimate goal is to have a membrane that has better characteristics such as being stable, impervious to fuels and electrons, excellent proton conductivity, and rigid at a thin thickness. The method for testing various membranes and some promising leads will be discussed. The presentation will also show some novel ideas about fuel cell design.