Norwegian Researchers Innovate to Make Hydrogen Fuel Cells More Cost-Effective and Sustainable
Key Ideas
- Norwegian experts at SINTEF are reducing costs and increasing sustainability of hydrogen fuel cells by slimming down key components like platinum and membrane materials.
- By cutting platinum content by over 62% and reducing membrane thickness by 33%, the team has managed to decrease pollution and costs by 20%.
- Their innovations could lead to more widespread adoption of fuel cells in various sectors, potentially reducing harmful emissions and improving air quality.
- The research aims to contribute to making future clean energy technologies, including powerful fuel cells, more affordable and environmentally friendly.
Norwegian experts at SINTEF are working on innovating hydrogen fuel cells to make them more cost-effective and sustainable. The team is focusing on reducing the amount of platinum in fuel cells, a costly component, by rearranging the metal's particles efficiently to produce more energy with less material. Additionally, they are addressing the membrane, which accounts for a significant portion of the fuel cell's cost, by cutting its thickness by 33%. This reduction not only decreases pollution but also saves costs by 20%. The research aims to make fuel cells more accessible for various applications, potentially replacing combustion engines in sectors like transportation to reduce harmful emissions and improve air quality. If implemented, these innovations could significantly impact the scaling of fuel cells for cleaner energy solutions in the future.