FEBUSS

Fuel cell Energy systems standardized for large transport, BUSes and Stationary applications

Objectives

The FEBUSS project (a 5 year program launched in 2002) relates to the development of a 100 kW fuel cell hydrogen powered system, standardized for urban transport systems and to stationary applications. It aims to obtain the best possible result with the applications selected, through the direct commitment of « end users» , and to draw up a list of issues relating to the regulations and safety as soon as the project is set up.
To guarantee a level playing-field in the two markets, the system design will incorporate a mass production objective at a cost of €300/kW. Furthermore, to improve ease of maintenance, reliability and performance, the following are also to be built into the project:

· an innovative stack (cell core)
· a fluid distribution design
· new design auxiliaries
· performance from 0.6 V at 0.6 A / cm²

The final phase of the project provides for a 2 year period of experiments on prototypes which will provide an opportunity to gain a lot of information on system reliability and maintenance costs. At the same time, cost evaluations and technological performance testing will allow us to ensure that the system design meets the requirements of markets that are themselves subject to continuous change.

Problems

The trend over the last few years has been to consider the stack as the key component of a Fuel Cell system, with design objectives that reflect only the performance of this component and that do not in any way take into account the performance of the other components required for the system to operate. This  project however pays particular attention to the fact that the system design must be considered as a whole in order to meet the design expectations and needs of end users.
Additionally, to make PEM Fuel Cell technology easier to use in applications where their use is more than justified, despite the initial high costs involved, the project also covers the need to define a standard technical platform that complies both with urban transport systems and with stationary applications. This platform will be developed as a function of need compatibilities.
Finally, as regards the current state of the technology, particular developmental efforts will be made on stack optimization and system design, the objective being to assess the potential in performance terms of the membrane / electrode assembly, the reliability of the stack and the failures in cell tolerance, the optimization of the Fuel Cell / power converter system combination and the initial consideration of issues relating to regulations, certification and safety.

Project structure

This project brings together end users, Fuel Cell component suppliers and specialists on regulatory and safety issues, that is, all those involved who are in a position to pass on their knowledge and to ensure that, on the basis of the technological resources and regulatory and market knowledge, commercially viable products can be obtained.
Axane Fuel Cell Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air Liquide, is the project coordinator and is involved mainly in its capacity as the Fuel Cell system designer. Air Liquide, for its part, is participating in the project as Axane's assistant contracting party, involved in system design and testing. Starting early in 2006, JRC-IE, a Dutch laboratory approved by the European Commission, will carry out batteries of tests on the 20 kW system in a laboratory exclusively designed for the FEBUSS project (tests conducted in climatic chambers). The INPT / IMFT laboratory based in Toulouse, is developing models for a better analysis of the intracellular conveyance of water in the passive and active layers of the electrode membrane assembly. The INPG / LEG laboratory based in Grenoble, for its part, is providing information about an electronic architecture and is developing modeling tools. Alstom Transport, which is an end user in respect of transport applications, is sharing its experience and expertise both in the area of tramway applications and vehicle power units, and in electrical systems and regulatory issues. The expertise of Irisbus is being put to good use in installing Fuel Cells in buses. Johnson Matthey is developing and supplying multi-layer membrane / electrode assemblies for stacks (developed and manufactured by Axane). SGL Technologies, for its part, is developing and supplying carbon fiber bipolar plates for these stacks. Bipolar metal plate technology,for which INEOS Chlor provides coating solutions, has also been thoroughly researched. Axane, with the help of INTA, is conducting tests to evaluate stack component solutions. Lastly, Ineris, with TÜV Saarland and INTA, is lending its expertise in the areas of safety, regulation and certification.

Knock-on effects and exploitation

The aim of the work being undertaken is to design a perfectly adapted high power standard Fuel Cell system, which perfectly matches market needs in relation to the short-term use of this technology, namely buses and trams, and for the emergency power supply in the Telecom and Service sector.
The Febuss project is a key stage in greater development of improved products for a wider range of applications. Furthermore, by combining the right components for commercially viable development with competitive solutions, this project is making a significant contribution to strengthening the Fuel Cell industry.

Progress made to date

· Creation of moulds for the cell plates;
· Development of an aluminum option for coolers;
· Creation of moulds for cooler inputs/outputs;
· Design of two types of liquid cooler using two different technologies: brazing and extrusion;
· Validation of the stack assembly concept: tests on two 6 cell stacks assembled with brazed and/or spun coolers have demonstrated an almost immediate seal, moreover during the mechanical assembly, all the plates resisted (a seal on the cooler surface allowed the heavy thickness margins of the coolers to be recovered);
Validation of the pure performance level of the cells by using characterization tests applied to the 12 cells (2 stacks of 6 cells in parallel) by varying a number of parameters (temperature of the stack: 60 to 70°C; stoichiometry: 2, 2.5 or 3; relative humidity: 75 to 100%). However, improvements (Nicalec, carbon treatment) are still to be made to the contact resistances since the Nickel Chemical coating is not proving effective;
· Validation of the oil flow diagram. Pressure losses in the cooling cell in operation are less than first anticipated;
· Validation of the balance between two cells at the same level. A maximum difference of about 50 mV between these two cells has been noted.
· Validation of the adhesion between the spun (extruded) coolers. Mini-prototypes designed, and the bungs and cooler inputs/outputs have been bonded. The pressure resistance test revealed no problems, nor did the oil compatibility test.

Partners

· Axane Fuel Cell Systems - France
· Alstom Transport - France
· Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT) - France
· Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - France
· Schneider Electric - France
· Irisbus - Spain
· TUV Saarland - Germany
· Ineris - France
· INTA - Spain
· INPG - France
· UJF and CNRS (working in a common research unit with the INPT) - France

Assistant contracting parties of Axane

· Air Liquide, France
· Johnson Matthey, RU
· Ineos Chlor, RU
· SGL Technologies, Germany
· JRC-IE, Netherlands

Contact

Axane
Mathias VINARD

Ineris
Lionel PERETTE

Schneider
Gilles VIDALENCHE

Alstom
Thierry MONTANIE

SGL Technologies
Thomas METZINGER

Johnson Matthey
Peter GRAY