Spectracarb Graphitized Carbon Paper as Current Collectors for PEM Electrolyser Applications

Transcription

1 Spectracarb Graphitized Carbon Paper as Current Collectors for PEM Electrolyser Applications CHRISTOPHER PERABO - HANNOVER MESSE TECHNICAL FORUM 28 APRIL 2016

2 PRESENTATION OUTLINE 1. EFT and CAPLINQ Intro USA and Europe Partnership 2. PEM Electrolyzer Market Markets and Applications 3. Graphitized Carbon Panel Production Process The logic of the Spectracarb papermaking process 4. Cost Drivers How next generations will bring down the cost CAPLINQ Europe BV Manufacturer Distributor Partner

3 CAPLINQ IS AN INTERNET AGE MARKET PARTNER Tools & techniques that multinationals use to serves customers in Europe ORDER FULFILLMENT - European presence without requiring a European entity - Sell direct to European customers. - No commissions / distributor fees TECHNICAL MARKETING - We build brand and product awareness: online and offline - We design technical datasheets, selector guides and brochures TECHNICAL REPRESENTATION - We are engineers and technical representatives - We travel through Europe, the Middle East and Africa - We meet with designers and engineers, not just purchasers INTERNET-AGE MARKET PARTNER SINCE 2004

4 ENGINEERED FIBERS TECHNOLOGY Core-competency in precision short-cut fibers KEY FACTS: Founded In 1998 Founding Members Each With Over 30 Years Experience Fibers/Composites High Technology Fibers Materials /Services Located in Shelton, CT 1950m 2 (~21,000 sq. ft) facility Fiber Processing Materials Development Lab Spectracarb Development

5 SPECTRACARB GDL BACKGROUND Timeline Spectracarb early days 1991 to 2005 Leading producer of GDL products for commercial applications Leader in development of new GDL materials DOE Contracts Automotive / Industrial Sponsorship Spectracarb Acquired by EFT who has grown Spectracarb through: Engineered Materials Research Wet-Laid Paper Development Specialty Short-Cut Fiber Investigations Spectracarb Partnership with Caplinq Europe BV Since 2013 Attended Hannover Messe every year since 2013 Technology Focus is customer-led GDL Development

6 FUEL CELLS VS ELECTROLYZER Opposite sides of the same coin Hydrogen Fuel Cell Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) Electrolyzer FUEL CELL Hydrogen IN Electricity OUT ELECTROLYZER Electricity IN Hydrogen OUT Toyota Fuel Cell

7 THE MARKET IS CALLING FOR ELECTROLYZERS There are at least four clear markets that have emerged Biogas plants Electrolyzers have been used to convert CO 2 from biogas plants into methane and water Hydrogen Fuel Electrolyzers are used to resupply fuel cells for automotive and light duty vehicles + CO 2 + 4H 2 CH 4 + 2H 2 O + Power Grid Stabilization Storage of renewable energy for grid stabilization Remote Hydrogen Production Electrolyzers are used to produce hydrogen for industrial uses in areas that are remote or difficult to access

8 ELECTROLYZERS FOR GRID STABILIZATION USE AMMONIA INSTEAD OF METHANE TU Delft and NUON are partnering to use the H2 created by electrolyzers to create ammonia. + N 2 + 3H 2 2NH 3 By using ammonia (NH 3 ) instead of methane (CH 4 ), electricity is generated without freeing CO 2

9 WHERE IN THE WORLD? Electrolyzers for various purposes around the world United States California is leading the way in developing the hydrogen station infrastructure, but generally, the USA is slow in addressing energy storage. Germany In Germany, H2 can be fed back into the natural gas (CH 4 ) grid which can accept a 5% surplus of H 2 Netherlands In Netherlands, N2 is combined with H2 to create ammonia (NH3) which is stored to later create electricity Brazil, India and Africa Today, PEM Electrolyzers are still more expensive that H2 suppliers, but as PEM costs drop PEMs more gain in market share. Also in some cases, the areas are too remote that PEM Electrolyzers are the best viable option.

10 WHERE IS SPECTRACARB USED? Different materials and grades for different applications FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY Vanadium Redox Battery China City Bus Program Porous Electrodes Shanghai Shen-Li Fuel Cell Production 2008 Olympics/2010 World Expo Spectracarb 2050A 0850 ULTRA CAPACITOR Spectracarb 2050A 6060 PEM ELECTROLYZER Current Collector Spectracarb ACF Spectracarb 2050A 12580

11 GRAPHITIZED CARBON PANEL FOR CURRENT COLLECTOR Thick panels on cathode side of stack Cathode Bipolar Plate (BiP) Current Collector Iridium Oxide (IrO 2 ) Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) Platinum (Pt) Membrane Spectracarb GDL 2050A-12580

12 Thickness, microns SPECTRACARB AS ELECTROLYZER CURRENT COLLECTOR Only Spectracarb GDL Panels can be both thick and dense Spectracarb Electrolyzer Cathode GDL Panels Spectracarb Electrolyzer Cathode GDL Panels THICKNESS Spectracarb Carbon Panels can be produced as thin as 130μm (5 mils) and as thick as 3810μm (150 mils) Density, g/cc DENSITY Spectracarb Carbon Panels have density as low as 0.32 g/cm 3 and as thick as high as 0.95g/cm 3 ONLY SPECTRACARB GDL CAN BE BE BOTH THICK AND DENSE

13 MATERIAL COMPARISON FOR CURRENT COLLECTOR Sintered titanium vs graphitized carbon panels POROUS CURRENT COLLECTOR MATERIALS Material Properties Spectracarb 2050A-6060 Sintered Titanium Thickness Oxidation on Cathode (H2) side Thickness range from 125micron to 4mm. Cost has non-linear relationship. No such effect with the Spectracarb GDL Any thickness is possible, but cost has a linear relationship to thickness Presents longer-term reliability as the compressed H2 makes the sintered titanium malleable Compressibility Can be compressed significantly. A 3mm thick sheet can compress to 2mm under pressures of 6-8MPa Not compressible (rigid) at electrolyzer pressures Compression Set No compression set. Near perfect hysteris after pressure is removed. N/A Not compressible Pore Size Random distribution, average pore size is 20 micron microns Porosity 70 75% 30 50% Cost Considerable price advantage of the carbon paper Considerably more expensive. Twice as expensive in low volumes. Microporous Layer Can be manufactured directly on the carbon paper Requires a standalone MPL

14 EFT / SPECTRACARB CARBON PANELS FOR PEM ELECTROLYZER KEY FEATURES: Thick, stiff panels with large surface area Random distribution with average pore size of 20um Excellent moisture transport / water management

15 WET-LAID POROUS GRAPHITE PAPER PROCESS Basic Process Scheme Carbon Fibers Wide range of carbon fibers available Other Components PAN Filament Stabilization, carbonization Carbon Filament Precision Cutting Carbon Fiber Slurry Paper Formation Molding / Resin Curing Once injected, resin is cured (hardened) Resin Impregnation Stabilization / Graphitization Furnace temperatures up to 900 C o C Bonded Graphite Fiber Paper/Panel Optional Wetproofing, MPL coating, sintering Custom Carbon Panels Specific Porosity Specific Density Tight tolerance on both size and thickness

16 ADVANTAGES OF PAPERMAKING APPROACH FOR SPECIALIZED GDL PRODUCTS Versatility Wide range of fibers, particle modifiers & binders can be used in papermaking process. Lab Scale Preparation is scalable from lab batch to pilot batch to production scale. Tolerance Process allows wider control over the thickness, density and porosity. Small Scale Papermaking process makes small production runs possible. High Density High density and thick panels with high compressive compliance are possible.

17 REDUCING THE COST OF PEM ELECTROLYZERS Next generation PEM designs have cost-down strategies in mind FOUR WAYS TO REDUCE PEM COSTS REDUCING COSTS Increase active area A larger active area decreases the cost per kg of H2 produced. Custom Spectracarb sheets can be supplied up to one square meter in area. Reduce Material Cost Sintered Titanium is expensive and the cost is linear with size. Spectracarb is 2-3 times less expensive and with optimized ordering* they can be even less. Higher pressure PEMs These eliminate a compression step, allowing customers to buy less expensive compressors. Spectracarb sheets withstand more than 35 bars of pressure. Increase useful life Longer life cycles increase the value of the PEM. Yearly service checks reveal that Spectracarb sheets are still intact while membranes need to be replaced. *Factors that affect cost are shown on the next slide.

18 REDUCE COST OF GRAPHITIZED CARBON PANELS EFT is focused on driving down the production costs 33% PRODUCTION COSTS 33% 33% Optimize Furnace Runs Furnace runs are expensive! Furnace same as sintered Ti Graphitization is >2000 C. Furnace runs are ~33% of cost Low volumes are expensive! Whether the furnace runs 1 part or 10,000 parts, the furnace cost is the same. There is a linear relationship between cost and number of units produced. EFT s efforts focus on optimizing furnace production runs. Reduce Machining Costs Machining to thickness Cutting to size Tight tolerance requirements Processes are ~33% of cost EFT is exploring cheaper methods Materials & Size Panels are molded in sheets Circles mean waste material Panel optimization is key Materials are ~33% of BOM EFT is exploring optimal sizes

19 ENGINEERED FIBERS TECHNOLOGY GDL PRODUCTS All Spectracarb grades of gas diffusion layer ENGINEERED FIBERS TECHNOLOGY GAS DIFFUSION LAYER PRODUCTS ALL SPECTRACARB GRADES Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL) Spectracarb Grade Type Thickness µm (mils) Density (g/cm³) Basic Weight (g/m²) Air Permeability (cfm/ft 2 ) Through Plane Resistance (mωcm²) Tensile Strength (N/cm) Flexural Strength (MPa) Flexural Stiffness (GPa) Porosity Mean Pore Size (µm) Thermal Conductivity (W/m-K) TP (IP) 1 PTFE Treated MPL 2050A-0550 Paper 130 (5) > 70% No No 2050A-0850 Paper 203 (8) MD & 2.6 XMD >70% 3.4 (20.7) No No 2050A-1050 Paper 250 (10) >70% No No 2050A-1240 Paper 310 (12) >70% No No 2050A-1535 Paper 380 (15) >70% No No 2050A-1550 Paper 380 (15) % 3.4 (20.7) No No 2050A-1732 Paper 430 (17) >70% No No 2050A-2050 Paper 500 (20) >70% No No 2050A-6060 Paper 1524 (60) >70% No No 2050A-7090 Paper 1778 (70) >70% No No 2050A Paper 3429 (135) >60% No No 2050A Paper 3810 (150) >60% No No ACF Fabric No No 1 TP AND IP STAND FOR THROUGH PLANE AND INPLANE RESPECTIVELY. DATA 25C 2 SUITABLE FOR CHANNELED FLOW FIELD APPLICATIONS. MACHINES VERSIONS CAN BE SUPPLIED.» TYPICAL DIMENSIONS ARE: 380 X 380MM, 400 X 400MM AND 500 X 500MM» CUSTOM GRADES AND SIZES (UP TO 1 SQUARE METER) CAN BE FABRICATED TO MEET CUSTOMER SPECIFICATIONS

20 SPECTRACARB PRODUCTION CAPABILITY Spectracarb production Capability Production Capacity > 50K sheets / year (40 x 40 cm / 50 x 50 cm) Larger sheets are possible 55 x 55cm 70 x 70cm Theoretically can produce 1x1m panels

21 PLEASE VISIT US IN HALL 27, STAND D-35

22 THANK YOU! Please get in touch with us to discuss your specific application Engineered Fibers Technology, LLC Serving USA, Canada, Mexico & South America Amsterdam, Netherlands Office Serving Europe, Middle East, Asia & Africa 88 Long Cross Road Shelton, CT USA Phone: +1 (203) Fax: +1 (203) Provincialeweg KK Krommenie The Netherlands Phone: +31 (20) Fax: +31 (84) PLEASE VISIT US IN HALL 27, STAND D-35