Tech Frontier | Chinese researchers develop innovative digital design method for fuel cells

(ECNS) -- A Chinese research team from Tianjin University has announced a new digital design method for fuel cells through high-precision mathematical modeling.

In recent years, fuel cells have drawn growing attention for their clean, efficient, and environmentally-friendly features. This innovative method will help shorten the R&D cycle, lower costs and improve battery performance.

Published in the international journal Energy & Environmental Science, the study provides an valuable insights in addressing the problems of traditional trial-and-error methods in fuel cell design.

The digitally-assisted method is tailored for commercial fuel cells, offering computational efficiency 10 to 20 times greater than conventional three-dimensional models.

According to the team, this approach could also be applied to other electrochemical devices, including lithium batteries and electrolyzers.

“Fuel cells designed with this new method could lower manufacturing costs to 60 percent of current levels and reduce R&D time by one-third,” said Li Feiqiang, a co-corresponding author from Beijing SinoHytec Co., Ltd.

Fuel cells represent the fourth major power generation technology, following hydropower, thermal power, and nuclear energy. Among them, hydrogen fuel cells have been gradually used in public transportation, commercial vehicles, and maritime industries.