Medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles with polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells powered by hydrogen offer several advantages over incumbent technologies of diesel- and battery-powered trucks. They represent a more practical and sustainable solution due to the higher efficiency, reduced emissions, no noise pollution, faster refueling and long driving ranges. To date, durability, fuel efficiency and cost remain the main critical barriers to the widespread adoption of fuel cells-powered heady-duty vehicles. Catalysts are critical components in fuel cells. Platinum group metals catalysts that are currently used in fuel cells have a high cost. Platinum degradation during operation makes it difficult to reach 2030 DOEs targets for one million miles range or 25,000 hours durability, 68% peak efficiency while achieving system cost of $80/kW. We are proposing to deliver an innovative, durable, efficient and cost-effective cathode catalysts for use in heavy-duty polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells trucks using bulk metallic glass materials. These are amorphous alloys that have a different structure compared to conventional metals and superior properties, including high strength, high hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. These improved properties make bulk metallic glass a more stable catalyst, preventing degradation. Bulk metallic glass catalysts also use less platinum for the same catalyst weight, which reduces cost. In addition, they can be thermoplastically formed into uniform nanostructures that can inhibit Pt dissolution, while also delivering a higher catalytic activity. In Phase I, we will fabricate BMG catalysts and demonstrate their performance through testing under relevant operating conditions for heavy-duty applications. Particularly, we will develop novel reduced-platinum content bulk metallic glass catalysts, fabricate catalyst nanostructures and integrate them into a fuel cell to demonstrate the improved durability and efficiency. We will also assess and project the cost of these novel catalysts based on their performance. The goal of Phase I is to demonstrate that bulk metallic glass catalysts have the potential to bridge the technology gap for heavy-duty truck applications to meet the DOEs 2030 targets. Phase II and Phase III of the project will optimize and enhance the performance of BMG catalysts and demonstrate potential strategies for manufacturing them on a large scale to meet the growing demand of catalysts for heavy-duty applications. This project can help solve critical problems that impede a wider use of hydrogen-powered transportation in the U.S. and worldwide. Once adopted in the medium- and heavy-duty trucks, this product can penetrate buses, trains, light-duty applications, as well as air and maritime transportation including planes and ships.
