An independent validation process has begun on a world first hydrogen fuel cell technology set to revolutionise the global transport industry.
Queensland’s University for Technology (QUT) is working with Titan Hydrogen Limited to assess whether its patent pending technology can increase the capacity of fuel cells by up to 60 per cent. This breakthrough would enable hydrogen fuel cells to utilise less hydrogen and produce significantly more energy.
“The technology facilitates a more efficient electrochemical reaction in the fuel cell, which means more available energy is produced from the same amount of hydrogen,” said David Vinson, Chairman of Titan Hydrogen Limited.
“The technology has application across global automotive, marine and heavy trucking industries. The technology can ultimately be applied to any fuel cell,” Vinson also added.
“The Holy Grail for the hydrogen industry is to figure out a way to use less hydrogen to get the same output of energy. We think our fuel cell technology is on the verge of doing that,” he said.
“Our technology improves the efficiency and reduces consumption of hydrogen of existing fuel cells, making their use much more viable.”
Mr Vinson said interim results from the QUT testing process were expected by the end of the year.
“We’re undertaking a proof of concept phase through an independent process and it is anticipated the results will validate the confidence we have in our technology. The results will be a potential game changer for the hydrogen fuel cell industry.
“If the cells show that they can produce more efficient energy, this will validate our technology and be a great first step for Titan and its investors.”
Titan is also undertaking a pre-IPO raise as it progresses its goal of launching an IPO and becoming a publicly listed company in 2022.
While most of the hydrogen industry is focused on reducing the price of hydrogen, Titan’s approach is to generate more energy from the same amount of hydrogen; leading to a substantial decrease in the cost of travel.
Hydrogen is one of the safest fuels available. It is scientifically classified as more stable and less toxic than fossil fuels such as petrol, LPG and diesel.
QUT has a long history of helping find solutions to industry problems through its electrochemical research. Securing the project with QUT will ensure that development of Titan’s hydrogen fuel cell is supported by state-of-the-art advanced electrochemical systems and a new scanning electrochemical system providing the ability to measure electrochemical and corrosion events on the micron scale.
A research team led by Dr Andrew Dicks, in collaboration with Associate Professor Geoffrey Will, using the advanced measurement systems, will carry out the research.
“The development will investigate the fundamental processes occurring within fuel cells using both electrochemistry and analytical techniques to validate fully the Titan fuel cell concept in which a novel nano-structured membrane is at the heart of the fuel cell,” Dr Dicks said.
“The aim of the work is to create a new type of hydrogen fuel cell that is not limited by losses caused by the high overpotentials experienced in currently available devices.”
The efficiency of low temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells is currently low – typically they may convert less than 40% of the energy of the supplied hydrogen into electricity.
Buses and trucks require large quantities of hydrogen to achieve reasonable range, reducing cost effectiveness of fuel cell powered vehicles.
Low conversion efficiency of fuel cells means that the ‘round trip’ efficiency of using hydrogen to store electricity can be as low as 50% (compared to batteries at >90%).
Titan is developing a revolutionary technology that enables the production of more efficient hydrogen fuel cells. It will effectively double the driving range of a vehicle by enabling a fuel cell to produce more electricity from the same amount of hydrogen.
This reduces the cost to the consumer and eliminates the need for as many hydrogen-refuelling stations, which can also be costly to build.
Titan’s hydrogen injection system is not an alternative fuel or engine replacement, it is a fuel enhancement system designed to upgrade petrol and diesel-powered vehicles.
This easy-to-install system allows hydrogen, the green energy of the future, to be used in the engines of today with minimal installation, minimal outlay and without the necessity to replace the engine’s entire fuel system.