Article sourced from UNSW
Researchers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney have developed a redesigned hydrogen fuel cell architecture that could help accelerate the commercialisation of hydrogen-powered transport technologies across aviation, freight and other hard-to-abate sectors.
The multidisciplinary research team, led by Dr Quentin Meyer and Professor Chuan Zhao from the university’s School of Chemistry, has introduced a new internal fuel cell design aimed at solving one of the technology’s longstanding technical barriers: water accumulation inside the cell.
Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity using hydrogen as fuel, producing water as the only byproduct. While widely regarded as a promising clean energy solution for sectors where battery systems face limitations, commercial deployment has been constrained by efficiency and system complexity.
According to the research team, excess water produced during operation can become trapped inside conventional fuel cells, restricting oxygen flow and reducing performance. Existing methods used to manage this issue often require additional systems that increase cost, weight and energy consumption.
The UNSW researchers instead developed a micro-engineered design featuring microscopic “lateral bypasses” within the cell structure. These channels allow water and gas to escape before they accumulate.
Dr Meyer said the redesign improves fuel cell efficiency through relatively minor structural changes.
“The redesigned fuel cell achieves 75 per cent more power than traditional designs,” he says.
The research combines advanced imaging, fluid flow simulation and precision micro-engineering to improve overall fuel cell operation while reducing reliance on expensive materials such as platinum.
Professor Zhao says the technology could support broader adoption of hydrogen across transport applications.
“By redesigning hydrogen fuel cells, lightweight aviation becomes a lot more realistic,” he says.
The team says the technology is particularly promising for low-altitude aircraft and heavy transport applications, where hydrogen fuel cells may offer longer operating times than battery-electric alternatives.
The lateral bypass technology has now been patented, with researchers working towards commercial scale-up.
