Fuel Cells for Transportation C1868
Topics: Advanced Technologies
This is a three-day course which provides a comprehensive and up to date introduction to fuel cells for use in automotive engineering applications. It is intended for engineers and particularly engineering managers who want to jump‐start their understanding of this emerging technology and to enable them to engage in its development. Following a brief description of fuel cells and how they work, how they integrate and add value, and how hydrogen is produced, stored and distributed, the course will provide the status of the technology from fundamentals through to practical implementation.
Day 1 will have a brief introduction to fuel cells and then go through fundamentals of fuel cells: the thermodynamic principles involving the electrochemical potential, the kinetics of electrode reactions, principles of electrocatalysis, and electrochemical methods of characterization. Included will be the set of governing equations that define the physical processes involved in single cells.
Day 2 will focus on fuel cells stacks incorporating polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMFCs). It discusses the functional aspects of the stack key components, including the membrane, porous electrodes, gas diffusion media, current collectors and water and thermal management. It also points to the key design requirements affecting performance, cost and reliability, as well as the methods and costs of manufacturing.
Day 3 will focus on those aspects which relate to the use of fuel cells in systems specifically designed for transportation and discusses typical system architectures, performance requirements, critical parameters and specifications, and system controls. Reference is made to the most recent implementations and advances in the industry, including efforts by Toyota, Hyundai and SAIC. Issues relating to achieving technical readiness are described, and ample references are given to enable the participant for follow-up after the course.
Learning Objectives
By attending this course, you will be able to:
- Identify the concepts and terminology of fuel cells in automotive applications
- Describe the key components of fuel cells stacks
- Explain the key design requirements that affect cost and reliability.
- Explain the major failure modes limiting performance and reliability.
- Design and develop fuel cells in systems specifically intended for transportations
- Follow the development of this subject in the open literature with ample references and examples
Who Should Attend
This course is intended for engineers and particularly engineering managers who want to jump‐start their understanding of this emerging technology and to enable them to engage in its development.
Prerequisites
Participants should have a basic technical background equivalent to a bachelor's degree in physics, chemistry or engineering. No prior knowledge of fuel cells is assumed.
You must complete all course contact hours and successfully pass the learning assessment to obtain CEUs.
Ling Mao and Bin Du
Dr. Ling Mao got his BS from Tsinghua University in 2000 and Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in 2006. Dr. Mao’s Ph.D. research focused on the cold start problem of PEM fuel cell system. After graduation, Dr. Mao worked on developing commercial fuel cell and battery products for several leading companies in the industry. At Plug Power Inc., he worked on the fuel cell stack design and the system integration for stationary applications. At General Electric Company, he led the development of batteries systems for mining vehicles and telecom applications. Currently at General Motors, Dr. Mao is responsible for developing the battery systems and the fuel cell systems for different automotive platforms., Dr. Mao has a proven track record in pioneering high technology innovations and new product introduction through years of industrial research and engineering practice.
Dr. Bin Du is the distinguished expert of the 10th Thousand Talents Program. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Nanjing University and a Ph.D. from the Ohio State University. He has been involved in the development and application of eco-friendly materials and new energy technologies. In 2002, he joined Plug Power Inc, a NASDAQ listed and the largest fuel cells company in America where he held a number of positions including Senior Researcher, Director of Excellence R&D Center, Manager of Asia Region and Director of Global Sourcing and gained over 20 years experience in technology and business management. Previously, he was the Chief Scientist/Project Manager for several R&D projects funded by U.S. Department of Energy/Department of Defense. He has participated in several technology transfer and development projects, bringing over his knowledge of the cell fuels and related core technologies. In his position as a project manager, he completed the transfer of hybrid battery management technology to CITIC Guo’an, which successfully served as a provider of hybrid power cells for the bus fleet for the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.
He holds 7 U.S. patents and has published 68 papers including over 10 keynote and invited speeches. He was invited to write green energy and fuel cell chapters for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Durability and Materials for the Hydrogen Economy. He was an independent expert for the review committee of American National Standards Institute, member of the industrial advisory committee of the new energy research center under the National Science Foundation (NSF) and managing director for the New York State New Energy Association. He is invited to be a longtime visiting research fellow for three universities in the United States.
In 2013, Dr. Du was selected as a distinguished expert under the Thousand Talents Program. In 2014, he established the Nanjing Gates High-Tech Environmental Co., Ltd. In 2015, he was on the list of Jiangsu Industry Professor Program (Nanjing University). He was selected in Jiangsu Province Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talent Project, Jiangsu Province Six Talent Peaks Project, Nanjing High-level Entrepreneurial Talent Program in 2016. In 2017, he was appointed as an expert reviewer for the talent inviting project under the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs and a distinguished expert under the Think Tank for Wulanchabu Municipal Government.
