BLESSED - Bridging Models at Different Scales To Design New Generation Fuel Cells for Electrified Mobility
Overview
Background & policy context:
To achieve the goals of the European Green Deal on climate neutrality, a 90% reduction in transport emissions is needed by 2050. The automotive industry urgently needs to accelerate the introduction of alternative powertrains for electrified vehicles. Hydrogen-powered Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) are carbon-free power devices that meet these goals in both mobile and stationary applications.
Objectives:
BLESSED aims at revolutionising the design process of next generation PEMFCs, to improve efficiency, durability and affordability for widespread use, with direct implications in clean energy and sustainable industry/mobility. BLESSED will train 15 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) to solve Multi-Scale (MS) engineering challenges, from the electrons up to the device level, through a unique combination of multi-disciplinary computational methods with Machine Learning (ML) to bridge each length scale’s highly accurate model to adjacent scales. Then, a top-down length scale approach will be followed to optimise PEMFC and its components. .
Methodology:
To this end, the 15 DCs will synergistically develop a unique MS computational framework for the all-scale PEMFC analysis/design, assisted by ML tools. This will allow the simultaneous consideration of complex physico-chemical phenomena occurring at all length scales, such as catalytically-assisted chemical reactions, contact of rough surfaces, mechanical/chemical degradation of membranes, fluid flows in porous media etc., at affordable computational cost. The proposed ID-network brings together world-class academic expertise on numerical modelling and simulation in electrochemistry, reacting flows, fluid mechanics, materials, optimisation methods and ML, with industrial developers. With a strong focus on industrial applications, BLESSED will develop methodologies and tools to exceed state-of-the-art in PEMFCs by minimising the Platinum group metal content and corrosion while maximising mass transport and electrical conductivity
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