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Commercial ConfidentialCommercial Confidential
Fuel Cell Stack Development
• > 10 application‐specific stack designs
• Stack development experience for a
range of applications:
o Several watts to multi‐MW
o Stationary and Motive applications
o Pure hydrogen and reformate fuel stacks
• Testing and design experience from existing platforms
• Models for design optimizations – performance, fluid,
thermal, structural, durability
• Ex‐situ testing techniques for characterization
• Integrate prototype or product‐ready components
• Design for manufacturing
• Testing and design experience from existing platforms
• Models for design optimizations – performance, fluid,
thermal, structural, durability
• Ex‐situ testing techniques for characterization
• Integrate prototype or product‐ready components
• Design for manufacturing
Delivering custom stack solutions
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Commercial ConfidentialCommercial Confidential
Control System Development
• Experience with controls development
o System products have integrated controls
• Off‐the‐shelf embedded controller
• Custom board design
o Software development completed internally
• Test station controls and data acquisition are
done in‐house
o LabView‐based control software
• Interface to other systems and controllers, including CAN‐
bus, serial
• Process tuning & optimization
• Control algorithm specification and implementation
• Stationary and motive applications
• Interface to other systems and controllers, including CAN‐
bus, serial
• Process tuning & optimization
• Control algorithm specification and implementation
• Stationary and motive applications
Systems and controls engineers have expertise in:
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Commercial ConfidentialCommercial Confidential
Fuel Cell Testing
• State‐of‐the‐art fuel cell testing facility
o Collect 400,000+ hours annually
o 24/7 operation, simulate real duty cycles
o Test station capacity < 100 W to 333 kW
• 60+ automated test stations and specialized
test tools
o Environmental: 10 temperature and humidity chambers
o Stack diagnostics: Current mapping, reference electrodes, water
management, freeze protocols, SEM
o Accelerated stress tests (AST): Membrane durability, cell reversal
tolerance, voltage cycling, start‐up/shutdown, ice tolerance
Current Map
Test Facility• Component‐, stack‐ and system‐level testing
• Standard and accelerated testing methods
• Custom diagnostic tests
• Component‐, stack‐ and system‐level testing
• Standard and accelerated testing methods
• Custom diagnostic tests
Develop and execute custom testing programs
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Commercial ConfidentialCommercial Confidential
Test Stations and Customer Facilities
• Expertise in facilities and test equipment
design and supply
o Clean rooms, test labs, production facilities
o Standard and custom testing equipment
• Equipment and services are supplied to
customers such as VW, AFCC, Daimler
Ballard Test Stand with Cold Chamber
Ballard Clean Room
Clean Room Humidity Control
• Test stations from multiple watts to megawatts
• Automated testing features – dynamic drive cycling,
custom performance/durability test protocols
• Test stations from multiple watts to megawatts
• Automated testing features – dynamic drive cycling,
custom performance/durability test protocols
Custom test stations
• Hydrogen infrastructure and safety
• Lab and test facility layout and design
• Fuel cell system assembly and plant layout
• Hydrogen infrastructure and safety
• Lab and test facility layout and design
• Fuel cell system assembly and plant layout
Facility consultation services
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Commercial ConfidentialCommercial Confidential
State‐of‐the‐Art Manufacturing
• High volume manufacturing and prototyping equipment
o Robotics, liquid injection molding and roll‐to‐roll processing
o Proven yields in excess of 99%
o SPC run charts Full traceability on raw materials
• For key customers Ballard offers custom development, including:
o Framed, sealed or unframed MEAs
o CCM (various configurations and applications)
o Reference electrodes
o Engineering support and failure analysis for integration
• Develop custom components to customer specifications or provide off‐
the‐shelf components
o Leverage Ballard or customer component technology
o Collaborate on component development and bring advanced technology to the table
o Ability to combine various membrane, catalyst and ionomers
Framed MEA & plate
Catalyst Layer Coating
Stack Assembly
MEA Assembly
•Membrane coating
•Catalyst ink mixing & composition to meet specifications
•MEA framing and liquid injection sealing
•Plate sealing
•Membrane coating
•Catalyst ink mixing & composition to meet specifications
•MEA framing and liquid injection sealing
•Plate sealing
Internal fabrication of custom components
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Commercial ConfidentialCommercial Confidential
590
246
132
160
196
95 106
175
Fuel Cell
System
Fuel
Reforming
Balance of
Plant
Fuel Cell
Stack
Plates Electrodes MEA &
Sealing
Catalyst &
Membrane
Patent Portfolio & Know‐How
Key technology advancements
• Unique system control strategies for
start/stop and voltage clipping
• Continuous innovations related to
flow field plate with flow guide
• Component technologies enabling
low RH, low catalyst loaded MEAs
• Advanced sealing designs for
extended lifetime operation
• ‘Freeze’ technology, enabling rapid
start‐up at low temperature
• Unique water management,
eliminates need for humidifiers and
enables 5,000+ operational hours
• Ballard’s IP portfolio consists of ~200 patents/applications with access to ~1,500
patents/applications
o System, stack, and component‐level design
o Membrane, electrode, catalyst and materials
o System and stack operation and control
Trade secrets and know‐how are
centered on predictive design methods,
accelerated test methods, CCM and
MEA manufacturing processes
SYSTEM STACK COMPONENTS & MATERIALS
Ballard Patents and Accessible Patent Portfolio