The Eurecat technology centre has patented a new technology for obtaining printed, flexible and lightweight devices to produce and convert green hydrogen, with the aim of reducing the environmental impact and cost of electrolytic cells commonly used in this process.
The innovation, which has been awarded the EmErgEnt prize from the Efficient Energy Cluster of Catalonia (CEEC) in the Seed category, makes it possible to convert solid elements of an electrolytic cell, such as the charge collectors, which are usually metal plates, into lightweight, thin-film printed flexible components.
In this way, “it is possible to obtain elements with the same functionality as conventional parts and with an efficiency comparable to that achieved using commercial elements”, explains Claudia Delgado, head of the Printed Energy Devices Line at Eurecat’s Functional Printing and Integrated Devices Unit.
Along these lines, a prototype has been created, which has been carried out as part of a project by the Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) of the Generalitat de Catalunya, “using much less halogenated material and through more sustainable and large-scale preparation methods”, adds Claudia Delgado.
The results of the project, called eLEAF (Low cost, lightweight, high efficiency membrane electrode assembly for hydrogen powered vehicles), show “the potential of printed electronics technology to contribute to the production of green energy with more sustainable production methods and lower cost compared to the current solution”, explains the director of Eurecat’s Functional Printing and Integrated Devices Unit, Paul Lacharmoise.
The technology has received the support of the Catalan network for innovation and scalability of knowledge in differential technologies in the field of renewable hydrogen (H2CAT Network), promoting its value and entry in the market.
Eurecat also forms part of Hydrogen Europe Research, the Spanish Hydrogen Association, the Hydrogen Valley of Catalonia and the Fuel Cells working group of the OE-A, the leading organisation in printed electronics in Europe.
You can view the eLEAF project video at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNfFS3nhjZ0
