Thermoset Applications in Fuel Cells

Transcription

1 Thermoset Applications in Fuel Cells TRFA 2008 Annual Meeting Sept. 15 th 2008 Paul Kozak & Daniel Ramrus B A L L A R D P O W E R S Y S T E M S A C C E L E R A T I N G F U E L C E L L M A R K E T A D O P T I O N COPYRIGHT 2008 BALLARD POWER SYSTEMS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

2 Outline Ballard and Fuel Cell Background (P. Kozak) Thermoset Resin Applications for Fuel Cells (D. Ramrus) Sealing History Seals Background Process, Materials and Designs LIM type solutions Framing type solutions Next Generation and Technology Gaps (D. Ramrus) Encapsulation Concept Need for new adhesive material, design and/or equipment to fit technical, process and cost requirements Supplier Requirements SEPTEMBER P A G E 2

3 S E C T I O N 1 Ballard Profile CLEAN ENERGY FUEL CELL PRODUCTS OUR COMPANY About 500 employees World-leading R&D & manufacturing facilities Locations in Vancouver, Canada (HQ), Lowell, MA & Fujisawa, Japan OUR BUSINESS Design, manufacture, sale & service of hydrogen fuel cell products OUR CUSTOMERS System integrators and OEM s addressing end-user needs: materials handling, telecom backup power, residential cogeneration OUR FOUNDATION Technology Leadership Production Expertise Expanding Go-to-Market Capabilities SEPTEMBER P A G E 3

4 S E C T I O N 2 Solid Foundation Technology Leadership Extensive fuel cell IP portfolio Deep technical fuel cell strength Industry leading R&D Most advanced testing facility worldwide Automotive IP rights Production Expertise State-of-the-art manufacturing facilities High quality manufacturing standards Expanding Go-to-Market Capabilities Broad portfolio of fuel cell products Growing set of strategic relationships (Collaborative funding partners, key Suppliers and Customer base) Industry-leading customer support SEPTEMBER P A G E 4

5 Fuel Cell Background Evolution of Cogeneration Stack AP1 AP2 V3 Volume 27L 17L 14L Weight 26Kg 20Kg 12Kg Durability >5000 hrs >15,000hrs >40,000 hrs Timing SEPTEMBER P A G E 5

6 Market Focus & Product Portfolio SEPTEMBER P A G E 6

7 Fuel Cell Test Facility World class test facility dedicated to fuel cell testing and research with more than 50 test stations Units from < 100 W to 150 kw Test capability from 40 C to +140 C Three fully equipped failure analysis labs Integrated data collection and reporting Cell voltage (Volts) Test Lab Cell Performance During Extended 200 ma/cm2 Specialized Accelerated Stress Test (AST) equipment and protocols Time (minutes) AST Results Advanced development testing tools SEPTEMBER P A G E 7

8 Fuel Cell Sealing Area and Modeling Capabilities Port Seals Stack Temperatur e Thermal Analysis Channel Fluid Flow Analysis MEA seal Framed MEA Port Connector Fluid Flow Analysis SEPTEMBER P A G E 8

9 Product Case Study - Mark1020 ACS TM Cost 100% 75% Mk 1020 Capacity Increase: Automated sealed MEA assembly Diffusion layer integration Seal and plate integration 20% catalyst reduction Labour 25% % 25% 0% 2008 Design Volume 2010 Pt 11% 2010 Labour 5% Pt 9% All Other Materials 66% All Other Materials 84% SEPTEMBER P A G E 9

10 Fuel Cell Thermoset Resin Applications Carbon plate glue Flexible graphite plate glue Film-frame adhesives New application: Post assembly injection molding (Encapsulation) SEPTEMBER P A G E 10

11 Seal Material Timeline Silicone present Automotive Materials Handling TPE (Santoprene) EPDM 2003-present Coolant Glue 1991-present SEPTEMBER P A G E 11

12 Silicone LIM molded seals Liquid Injection Molded (LIM) Silicone is molded onto membrane (seal penetrates into GDL) Compression of polymer used to maintain sealing force Viscosity and cure are used to control flash Graphite Plate MEA µm Fuel Porous GDL Membrane Sili con e Graphite Plate SEPTEMBER P A G E 12

13 Comments - LIM sealed design ~90 seconds/part (stack contains cells depending on design) 10,000hr lifetime at steady-state operations Current silicone leads to membrane degradation Alignment of finished part is time-consuming Silicone MEA SEPTEMBER P A G E 13

14 Framed Seal Design Polymer frame attached to MEA Outboard seals Fuel Porous GDL Membrane Graphite Plate Graphite Plate SEPTEMBER P A G E 14

15 Comments- Framed Design Frame materials have high cost Middle of frame is thrown away Less expensive frame materials do not meet lifetime requirements (up to 90ºC, 80,000 hrs) Port seals are often handled with different material No MEA failure mechanisms directly related to sealing Slow assembly Accelerated stress and durability test models for frame materials Frame Frame adhesive MEA SEPTEMBER P A G E 15

16 Next Generation- Encapsulated Significant cost savings on process and materials High-volume process Manifold area sealing requires development MEA impregnation requires longer development (wicking/flashing main issue) A A SEPTEMBER P A G E 16

17 Epoxy sealing equipment SEPTEMBER P A G E 17

18 Advantages- Encapsulated Pick and Place assembly Decreased assembly time Reduced part count Eliminates expensive frame No compression set requirements Prototypes have passed leak test and materials have run for thousands of hours SEPTEMBER P A G E 18

19 Results- GDL Encapsulation Top View MEA Flash Epoxy in seal groove SEPTEMBER P A G E 19

20 Requirements Viscosity ~ 30,000-60,000 Cp Cure Temperature < 120ºC Lifetime 80,000 hrs at 90ºC Max temp 120ºC Flexibility requirement: 75% elongation at break Low moisture absorption SEPTEMBER P A G E 20

21 Requirements for Ballard Suppliers Experienced thermoset/thermoplastic supplier familiar with: Custom formulation Injection molding experience Extensive testing capability Predictive capability of material failure ISO certified Willing to work with Ballard through development trials patience for arrival of business volume ramp SEPTEMBER P A G E 21

22 Summary Ballard is building leading product positions by leveraging technology, product development and manufacturing expertise. Ballard is committed to strengthen our technology, leadership position by: aggressive R&D investment strategic focus on key technology drivers Working to reduce labour and the parts count of our fuel cell stacks We need thermoset resins in our future supplied to us by world-class companies THANK YOU! SEPTEMBER P A G E 22

23 Appendix SEPTEMBER P A G E 23

24 Reference Information Presenters Contact Info: Paul Kozak direct Daniel Ramrus direct Investor Relations: Telephone: Media Relations: Telephone: Product Inquiries: Telephone: Stock tickers: TSX BLD; NASDAQ BLDP Ballard headquarters: Address: 9000 Glenlyon Parkway, Burnaby, BC V5J 5J8 Canada Acknowledgements: Thanks to Leya Behra, Paul Beattie and Simon Fearnley for their leadership and contributions to the design and fabrication of prototypes SEPTEMBER P A G E 24