Research and development
of fuel cells

Within the last 10 years, fuel cell technology has been greatly enhanced by many companies and research institutes. Several partnerships have been very successful with the result that fuel cell prototype systems for applications both in industrial and recreational sectors are available today. Major technical challenges encompass fuel cell durability and consistent quality of core components, such as MEA, gaseous diffusion constructions, bipolar plates, and gaskets. Current research focuses on the fundamental traceability of degradation and failure mechanisms in the fuel cell stack. Having this knowledge, strategies for extending life-time can be further developed. This includes suitable designing of components, customized and optimized material, or adjusted operating modes. Research project success requires profound knowledge of fuel cell material and strong expertise in electrochemistry. The MAGNUM fuel cell test center offers service testing and failure analysis for all major fuel cell components.