Title : State-of-the-art Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Abstract:

fter a few years of intensive research, recent studies of Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (AEMFCs) finally show cell performance at the required levels for automotive applications. This achievement was mainly due to the successful development of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) with considerable high hydroxide conductivity (100 mS cm-1 and above). Based on these high performance membranes, AEMFCs with power densities and limiting current densities higher than 1 W cm-2 and 4 A cm-2 have been recently achieved, which only a couple of years ago seemed far from possible. In order to achieve the next breakthrough in AEMFC technology, the following challenges need to be addressed: (A) the need for Pt-free (and PGM-free) catalysts highly active in alkaline medium, and (B) barriers in cell performance stability. Latest achievements in AEMFCs, as well as recent research on the above mentioned challenges will be presented and discussed during the talk.

Biography:

B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from UTN (Argentina), M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and PhD and MBA from Technion I.I.T. (Israel). In 1998 he joined Rafael Ltd., where he led 50 researchers in the area of high temperature batteries. In 2007 Prof. Dekel co-found CellEra, where as VP for R&D he led 15 researchers to develop the Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell technology. In 2015 Prof. Dekel joined the Technion, where he heads the TEEM Lab (Technion Electrochemical Energy based on Membranes), leading the largest wordlwide research group on AEMFCs. Prof. Dekel hold more than 50 patents and papers on battery and FC technologies. He currently holds about $4M goverment and company research grants from Israel, Europe and USA.