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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number GR/S80455/01
Title Mechanisms of proton conduction in minimally hydrated ion-containing polymers
Status Completed
Energy Categories Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Fuel Cells) 100%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator Dr JA Elliott
No email address given
Materials Science & Metallurgy
University of Cambridge
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 01 March 2004
End Date 30 April 2006
Duration 26 months
Total Grant Value £121,517
Industrial Sectors Energy
Region East of England
Programme Materials, Mechanical and Medical Eng, Physical Sciences
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Dr JA Elliott , Materials Science & Metallurgy, University of Cambridge (100.000%)
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Objectives
Abstract The development of efficient fuel cells, powered by hydrogen and generating pure water as their waste product, promises to displace current petroleumbased technologies, such as the internal combustion engine, and could lead to a future in which toxic emissions from vehicles or power plants are eliminated from dense urban settlements or sensitive rural environments. However, in order for this objective to be realised, there are some important technological problems to be solved that involve understanding water and ion transport through the polymer membrane that sits at the heart of all fuel cell designs. Like a biological membrane around a cell, this allows a controlled flow of ions from which power can be extracted whilst preventing the raw components from mixing. In cells, it is known that there are certain proteins that can conduct small ions very efficiently across the membrane. In this project, we seek to understand the fundamental mechanisms of such ion transport so that we can design membranes that will function many times more efficiently than current materials. As well as being scientifically interesting in their own right, the answers to such questions should lead very quickly to improvements in fuel cell technology
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Added to Database 01/01/07