(Invited) Importance of Accelerated Stress Tests in Accelerated Discovery of Energy Materials

Abstract

Accelerated Stress Tests (ASTs) are critical to the rapid discovery and deployment of new stable materials in electrochemical energy conversion technologies. The widespread use of validated ASTs can spur materials development efforts that address the key shortcomings of today’s materials. An excellent example of the use of ASTs has been in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). This talk will describe the various ASTs that have been utilized to evaluate oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts, catalyst supports and membranes in fuel cells. As better materials get developed, the ASTs have evolved over time to provide quick feedback on the degradation rates of these materials. Finally, the ASTs can also provide insights into the tradeoffs between cost, performance and durability of these electrochemical systems. Results from the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck Consortium (M2FCT) will be presented with particular emphasis on heavy duty application of fuel cells. This talk will also address the ASTs that are currently under development for polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs). The Department of Energy (DOE) has recently set performance and durability targets for PEMWEs. The Hydrogen from Next generation Electrolyzers of Water (H2NEW) consortium is currently engaged in developing ASTs for PEMWEs and these results will be presented and discussed. By providing these two specific examples, the importance of ASTs in materials discovery will be highlighted. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, US Department of Energy (DOE). Funding is through the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT) consortia, technology managers G. Kleen and D. Papageorgopoulos and Hydrogen from Next generation of Electrolyzers of Water (H2NEW) consortia, technology manager Dave Peterson.REFERENCES: https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/technical-targets-proton-exchange-membrane-electrolysis