Though fuel cell technology has been studied by researchers worldwide for the past 150 years, LSU chemical engineering professor Chris Arges is working to change the landscape of renewable energy.
He recently received a $500,000, two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to optimize materials used in manufacturing for fuel cells. Arges’ objective is to develop machine learning and artificial intelligence tools that can speed up how long it takes to discover and test materials for making fuel cells.
Arges is working with LSU chemical engineering professor Jose Romagnoli on the endeavor, which falls under the DOE Advanced Manufacturing’s plan to strengthen U.S. competitiveness.
Arges believes the cost, size and energy output of fuel cells, which run on converting hydrogen into energy, can be improved by operating them at higher temperatures. To run them hotter, though, they need to me made of materials that can handle more heat, which is the root of Arges’ and Romagnoli’s research.
While some automotive manufacturers currently use fuel cell technology, it isn’t ready for primetime due to high costs and limited hydrogen refueling stations. Arges hopes to change that.
The project has garnered support from fuel cell parts manufacturer Xergy, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 3M, and Toyota, the latter of which currently uses fuel cells in its Mirai vehicle.
Toyota plans to have a smaller fuel cell stack for its next fuel cell vehicle. Improving the fuel cell efficiency and reducing its size may enable the vehicle to drive 700 miles before refilling with hydrogen, alleviating the burden of building many hydrogen refueling stations.
Arges’ research could very well change the landscape as to how fuel cell materials are developed and manufactured. Read the full announcement from LSU.
