Oct 13 2003
Honda have announced the development of the Honda FC Stack, a compact high performance fuel cell stack that is able to operate at temperatures as low as –20°C.
The design of the FC Stack also differs in that it employs a stamped metal separator with rubber seals attached during the manufacturing process. This system is much more simple compared to conventional fuel cells which use carbon separators which are bolted together. Furthermore, this new design reduces the number of components by almost 50% over a conventional fuel cell stack, while at the same time doubling the output capacity.
The new Honda design also utilises a new aromatic electrolyte membrane that improves durability and permits operation in the temperature range –20°C to 95°C, which is not possible using conventional fluorine electrolyte membranes.
In test carried out using the FC Stack in the Honda FCX, range has been increased from 355km to 395km, while fuel economy is up by 10%.
For more information on fuel cells, click here.