Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGBMembrane humidifiers play an important role in the fuel cell as external components for water management. In the AMBITION project, an extensive infrastructure and the necessary know-how were established to comprehensively characterize humidifier membranes. Thus, the water transfer of hollow fiber and flat membranes can now be determined automatically (24/7) and tools for rational membrane selection are available.
AMBITION – Application of Membranes in Automotive Fuel Cell Humidifiers – Performance, Stability, Pollutant Gas Tolerance
One approach of a sustainable energy economy is the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier. This can be produced by electrolysis, e.g. by fluctuating renewable energy, and can be used for mobile and stationary applications by generating electric power with fuel cells. The management of the resulting water plays an important role for the performance and lifetime of the fuel cell. Membrane humidifiers can be used as an external component to protect the ionomer membrane in the fuel cell from drying out at any time. However, commercial membrane humidifiers do not adequately meet the very demanding requirements for automotive applications in terms of water transfer, long-term stability, pollutant gas tolerance and cost.
Fig. 1: Test rig for parallel characterization of three humidifying membranes.
Test rigs for automated testing of humidifier membranes
In the AMBITION project, the innovation field Membranes at Fraunhofer IGB has built up an extensive infrastructure (Fig. 1) and the corresponding know-how to comprehensively characterize humidifying membranes. In the meantime, a total of four test rigs for hollow fiber (Fig. 2) and flat sheet membranes (Fig. 3) are available to determine the water transfer of humidifying membranes in relevant parameter spaces automatically (24/7) (Fig. 4). Furthermore, gas leakage tests and long-term stability investigations are performed. With the help of these data, membranes can be rationally evaluated and also different geometries can be compared with each other. This know-how is offered as a service to customers.
Fig. 2: Glass module for hollow fiber membranes
Fig. 3: Flat membrane module
Fig. 4: Typical measurement curve for water transfer with a variation of overflow and temperature.
Project information
Project title
AMBITION – Application of Membranes in Automotive Fuel Cell Humidifiers – Performance, Stability, Pollutant Gas Tolerance
Project duration
June 2018 – March 2021
Project partners
- cellcentric GmbH & Co. KG (Coordinator)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB
- Center for Fuel Cell Technology GmbH - ZBT
Funding
We would like to thank the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWi) for funding the project »AMBITION«, funding code 03ETB009B
