Business
Research Update
Research Update.
About this update from Itm Power Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n ITM Power PLC\n30 November 2005\n\n30 November 2005\n\n\n\n ITM Power Plc\n\n Research Update\n\n\n Composite Membranes and Direct Electrical Control of Fuel Cell Power Output\n\n\n\nITM Power aims to provide enabling technology for the hydrogen economy and as an\nessential part of this process it continues to pursue fundamental research in\nall aspects of fuel cell and electrolyser science. This announcement, the\nCompany's first Research Update, comprises two developments, composite membranes\nand new methods of controlling the power output of fuel cells. These represent\nentirely new aspects of fuel cell science, which may be fundamental to the\nsuccessful application of fuel cells in the long term.\n\n\n\nITM's unique technology allows a wide range of material properties to be\nengineered into its ionomeric polymers. As previously announced, these\nmaterials can be made with either acid or alkaline properties, while in addition\nthe materials developed specifically for the Alcohol Fuel Cell Programme\n(announced on 30th August 2005) included variants produced by radiation graft\nprocesses which facilitate the production of thin films in a range of mechanical\nstrengths and water contents. The ability to control and engineer the\nproperties of the Company's materials has now led ITM to two, potentially\nsignificant, improvements to fuel cell systems:\n\n\n\n(i) Composite membranes. These are membranes in which one side of the membrane\ncan be composed of an acidic polymer, while the other side is composed of an\nalkaline polymer. Such a system is more costly to make because it builds on a\npre-existing membrane, but it enables the separate choice of different catalysts\non each side of the cell. For example, one catalyst chosen to operate in an\nacid environment with the fuel, while a second (different) catalyst operates in\nan alkaline environment with the oxidant. Because the cost of a cell depends\nboth upon the cost of the membrane and of the catalyst, the overall system can\nshow economic and efficiency benefits even allowing for the increased cost and\ncomplexity of the membrane structure. Composite membranes potentially reduce\nthe overall cost of a fuel cell system by raising efficiency, reducing catalyst\ncosts and simplifying hydration control systems.\n\n\n\n(ii) Direct electrical control of fuel cell power outp...