AVL Focus - Issue 2024

At the same time, expectations on the lifetime of fuel cells

are increasing significantly. % car is YsYally e\Tected to

have a lifetime of around 5,000 hours, but the benchmark

in the new applications is approximately 25,000 hours. This

presents a particular challenge for the metal plate stacks used

widely in the passenger car sector. In contrast, AVL’s stack

technology with carbon-based bipolar plates has already

been implemented successfully in various stack designs,

proving itself to be robust and better suited for meeting these

challenging targets.

Efficiency Is the Key to Reducing Costs

With the extension of lifetime comes the need to reduce

oTerating costs. 8Le aim is to increase tLe eƾciency oJ JYel

cell stacOs Jrom tLe cYrrent level oJ aTTro\imately Ż to

Ż in tLe JYtYre. 3Ttimi^ing eƾciency in tLis way not

only helps to reduce operating expenses (OpEx), but also

minimizes the total cost of ownership (TCO) for end users.

New AVL Stack Design Overcomes Challenges

To meet the increasing requirements, AVL has developed

a new, revolutionary fuel cell stack that unites all of these

aspects in a single cell row. The new stack offers a high rated

output power of 200 kW (with a peak power of up to 310 kW),

an e\cellent eƾciency oJ  , and an imTressive liJetime oJ

more than 25,000 hours. AVL thus offers a unique solution

that not only meets future market requirements but is also

significantly more soTListicated tLan TrevioYs tecLnologies.

Five patent applications derived from the design testify to the

highly innovative character of AVL’s new stack.

It is particularly noteworthy that with the new high-power

stack, the number of stacks required in heavy-duty vehicles

can be reduced from the usual four to two. In addition, the

high power density of 5.6 kW/liter leads to a more streamlined,

more costeJJective, and more eƾcient system integration.

AVL has already carried out packaging studies to ensure that

two of the new stacks, including Balance of Plants (BoP)

components, integrate seamlessly into the existing engine

compartment of standard heavy-duty trucks. This compact

and eƾcient solYtion is oJ great Fenefit to cYstomers.

ƈ% stacO witL sYcL a LigL oYtTYt Tower and eƾciency is

unique on the market. We are proud to have developed

this new platform. We have already validated it in test

environments and found that it works even better than we

originally expected,” says Jose Rubio, Managing Director AVL

Fuel Cell Canada.

Efficiency, Reduced Costs, Reliability, and a Broad Spectrum of

Application

With this innovation, AVL is taking on a pioneering role in

the fuel cell industry. The combination of high performance,

eƾciency, and dYraFility maOes tLis tecLnology an e\tremely

attractive solution for a wide range of high-performance

applications. In addition to truck applications, there are also

promising applications in other areas such as shipping,

stationary power generation, and – in a lightweight stack

variant – aviation. The versatility of the technology makes it

an attractive basis for many future projects in the mobility and

energy sector.

Outlook: Industrialization of the Technology

Following the test and validation phase of the high-power

stack design, AVL’s next goal is industrialization. We are

looking to collaborate with a strong partner: “Whether for

heavy-duty commercial vehicles, stationary power generation,

or even aviation applications – our high-performance stack

is ready to maOe a significant imTact on tLe moFility oJ tLe

future and set new standards in fuel cell technology,” says

.ose 6YFio.ɸ

Stack

Specifications

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2024