British breakthrough could cut fuel cell costs

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles – seen by many people as the answer to clean, all-electric mobility without the range restrictions of battery-electric cars – could be a step closer and a lot cheaper as a result of the pioneering efforts of a British company. There are currently two major barriers to the full-scale introduction of fuel cells – cost and the lack of a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. But ACAL Energy, a small company based at Runcorn in Cheshire, claims to have devised a cell which would cost no more than a four-cylinder petrol or diesel engine.

Seven major manufacturers have pledged to begin producing fuel cell cars in small numbers by 2015 – Hyundai has already begun making the first of 1,000 hydrogen ix35s it has promised – and Japan, America and several European countries are taking the first tentative steps towards a refuelling network.

ACAL’s breakthrough is in the way the fuel stack – the component which converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, with water as the only by-product – is constructed. This removes 80 per cent of the platinum in current fuel stacks, which, says ACAL, would equate to a 30 per cent reduction in costs. That calculation is based on production of 500,000 units.

The platinum has been replaced with a liquid catalyst – referred to by ACAL as a ‘secret sauce’ – which has been patented under the name FlowCath. Apart from reducing costs, the process is said to improve the durability of fuel cells.

A prototype cell has been bench-tested for 9,000 continuous hours – the equivalent of 300,000 road miles – on a cycle designed to mimic typical car journeys.

ACAL has won financial backing from Honda to help develop the system, and CEO Greg McCray says the company is collaborating with “five-and-a-half” of the seven manufacturers who have signed up to start making fuel cell cars.

 “The only things we’ve changed are at the cathode side of the stack,” says McCray. “That’s where most of the platinum, cost and durability issues are to be found. We have replaced most of the platinum with a chemical.

“We are now at the commercialisation stage. We want to take it from the laboratory to the street, and will be signing up customers for development projects in the next six to 12 months.”

ACAL plans to license the technology and allow the auto manufacturers to make it themselves. “We don’t have the expertise to put one in a car,” says McCray. “We can only do this in partnership with them. We will be selling the intellectual property, but they will have to come to us to buy the ‘secret sauce’.”

ACAL and its backers have so far invested £15 million into developing the system, and are now looking for another £15 million to complete the work.