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IEA Research Cooperation

IEA AFC Annex 34: Fuel Cells for Transportation (Working period 2022 - 2025)

The vision of the Technology Collaboration Programme on Advanced Fuel Cells (AFC TCP) is to make a significant contribution to addressing the opportunities and barriers to the commercialisation of fuel cells by promoting the development of fuel cell technologies and their applications at the international level. In detail, Annex 34 deals with the advantages and disadvantages of fuel cells, the further development of storage media, the recording of cost reduction potentials and the results analysis of pilot projects for mobile applications.

Short Description

The overarching goal of the project is to combine on an international level leading research institutions and interested parties to advance the introduction of mobile fuel cells into the market and to jointly enable research through exchange.

In detail, the Annex is dedicated to four specific focal points in the following subtasks:

  • Subtask 1: Advanced fuel cell systems for transport applications including hydrogen storage technologies.
  • Subtask 2: Hydrogen infrastructure and production including well-to-wheel studies as well as decentralised and centralised hydrogen production.
  • Subtask 3: Technology validation, in particular for light and heavy-duty vehicles and buses.
  • Subtask 4: Economic analysis of fuel cell systems in motor vehicles and hydrogen production.

The aim of the project is to develop recommendations on the topic of modularity of fuel cell systems for transport applications and a cross-border guideline on the possible applications, for example for heavy transport, train and ship applications. The methodological approach is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Methodical approach for the optimised design process of a fuel cell system power train

Furthermore, the project aims to develop two concrete case studies for the use of decentralised and centralised hydrogen production, taking into account the local boundary conditions and prerequisites for mobile applications.

In addition, the project work includes the evaluation of different application scenarios of mobile fuel cells in vehicles, ships and aircraft and deals with both passenger and freight transport.
Based on the previous findings, the economic viability of various application cases will be presented. These will be analysed with the help of an internally developed tool, see Figure 2.

Definition of the usable potentials - Layout of the PtX Plant - Distribution to the end energy sectors
Figure 2: Design process to determine the optimal plant configuration for the production of green hydrogen for transport application

As an overarching result, the project focuses on international cooperation and increased knowledge in order to exploit all possibilities for dissemination. In particular, the opportunities of fuel cell systems in mobile transport applications are to be made more accessible to both specific experts and the general public on the basis of detailed analyses and well-founded results.

Participants

  • Austria
  • Canada
  • China
  • Denmark
  • France
  • Germany
  • Sweden
  • USA (Operating Agent)

Contact Address

HyCentA Research GmbH
Dr. Alexander Trattner
Inffeldgasse 15
A-8010 Graz
E-Mail: trattner@hycenta.at