The Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that on May 10, the research team led by Academician Chen Zhongwei and Associate Researcher Zhang Meng from the State Key Laboratory of Catalysis Energy Conversion successfully developed the high-specific-power cathode closed air-cooled stack technology. The achievement passed the technical appraisal organized by China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation.
Expert appraisal committee confirmed that the technology features strong innovation, advanced technical parameters and independent intellectual property rights. The stack achieves the world’s highest specific power, placing the overall technology at an internationally leading position.
Insufficient cruising range of conventional lithium batteries and bulky structure of existing fuel cell systems have long bottlenecked industrial development. After years of intensive research, the team developed this lightweight, high-power air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell stack, marking a major leap from laboratory research to large-scale practical application. Industrial drones equipped with this system obtain more than twice the endurance compared with traditional battery-powered models.
A test flight of the hydrogen-powered drone fitted with the stack was successfully completed on the appraisal day. Third-party testing verified outstanding core performance indicators. The air-cooled stack delivers a specific power of 1970 W/kg and an areal power density of 1.15 W/cm².
Three core breakthrough technologies resolve the contradiction between water retention and oxygen mass transfer inside air-cooled fuel cells:
- Multiscale regulation of catalytic layer: Restrains catalytic performance degradation under low humidity and carbon corrosion caused by anode reverse polarity.
- Asymmetric water mass transfer technology: Eliminates the coexistence of membrane drying and water flooding in conventional air-cooled stacks.
- Microchannel enhanced heat transfer and hydrothermal coupling technology: Breaks through thermal management limits under high power density.
A complete independent R&D system covering materials, components and integrated systems has been established, with 21 domestic invention patents filed. An automated production line for cathode closed air-cooled stacks is operational and capable of mass delivery. The products have been widely applied in forestry, agriculture, power inspection, emergency rescue and other scenarios.
