Nissan has released its next generation fuel cell stack (2011 model) for fuel cell electric vehicles. Through improvements to the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and the separator flow path, Nissan has increased the stack’s power density to 2.5 times greater than its 2005 model, claiming a record among automotive OEMs’ fuel cell stacks of 2.5kW per litre.
It has 85 kilowatts of power in a 34-liter package. Nissan brought the production cost down by 85 percent. It is close to meeting the U.S. Department of Energy cost target for 2010.
Moulding the supporting frame of the MEA integrally with the MEA itself enabled stable, single-row lamination of the fuel cells, thereby reducing the stack’s overall size by more than half compared to conventional models. Compared with the 2005 model, both the usage of platinum and parts variation have been reduced by 75%, thereby reducing cost of the new stack to one-sixth of the 2005 model.
The Nissan Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) is ready to go. They just need the hydrogen distribution network.
UK Cella energy microbead based hydrogen storage could be used to create the hydrogen distribution.
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