Fuel cells are electrochemical energy converters. They convert the chemical energy in fuel cells into electricity and useful heat and water. Fuel cells run on hydrogen are emission-free at their place of use and have an electrical efficiency of over 60%.
ZSW is a pioneer in application-oriented fuel cell technology, from material development through to system testing. For many years, we have been working on polymer membrane fuel cells, which are used in mobile (e.g. in vehicles), stationary (e.g. in domestic energy systems) and portable applications (e.g. off-grid power supply systems). Other focal areas include direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC), high-temperature membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFC) and fuel cells with alternative membrane materials (e.g. AEMFC) and electrode materials (e.g. Pt-free electrodes).
Our core areas of expertise are the construction, characterisation and simulation, development and construction of stack and system prototypes, and the development of production and test technologies. In addition to this, we operate one of the world’s largest test fields for fuel cell stacks and system components.