Hydrogen technology firm Celadyne is expanding its work with automaker General Motors (GM) on heavy duty mobility systems utilizing fuel cells.
The collaboration will use Celayne’s Dura technology to develop fuel cells for heavy-duty transportation applications including trucking and industrial use, according to reports. The GM-Celadyne partnership is one of 16 projects which the U.S. Department of Energy awarded a total $47 million in funding for develop hydrogen in enhancing power electronics design, motor integration and optimization for electric drive systems.
Fuel cell technologies convert fuels into electricity through an electrochemical reaction. Celadyne’s Dura uses advanced cells with thin membranes and allows protons to move quickly and efficiently, according to reports.
The layers control the movement of gasses and ions without slowing down proton movement. Fuel cells will not work for heavy-duty trucking or redox flow batteries without these qualities, Celadyne says.
GM, one of the world’s largest automakers to actively develop decarbonization strategies, also is working with Honda to begin commercial production of hydrogen fuel cell systems at a plant in Michigan.
In recent weeks, GM signed a 15-year solar energy power purchase agreement with NorthStar Clean Energy to supply renewable electricity equivalent to the demand from three assembly plants in Michigan and Missouri. The GM Defense subsidiary also is developing and providing battery electric technology intended for future military platforms.
Fuel cell systems do not emit carbon dioxide and only produce water in exhaust. Hydrogen does not contain carbon in its chain, but is generated only through steam reforming of natural gas or by electrolysis splitting the H2 molecule from water.
