Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) announced today that its metallic bipolar plate for fuel cell stacks has been recognized by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) with a 2019 FCH Award in the Best Success Story category as part of the INSPIRE Project. The FCH Award recognizes outstanding projects and developments in the field of fuel cells that reduce production costs, speed up manufacturing, develop new materials, increase performance, and demonstrate the reliability of hydrogen energy.
Dana is one of nine partners in the INSPIRE project, which develops innovative stack components for fuel cells with high power densities. One of the project goals was to develop a cost-effective and competitive bipolar plate. The results of the INSPIRE project demonstrate Dana’s ability to deliver a market-ready metallic bipolar plate that will be important for the growth of the fuel-cell market.
The metallic bipolar plate developed by Dana is a key enabling component for the INSPIRE project’s stack, which delivers an industry-leading power density of 5.7 kilowatts per liter and over 1.5 W/cm², exceeding the group’s original target and surpassing the currently available fuel cell cars, which have a power density of approximately 3 to 4 kilowatts per liter.
The highly durable bipolar plate from Dana is designed to meet the extreme demands for sealing, coating, and absolute precision of the extra-fine embossing structures.
“Receiving the 2019 FCH Award is an excellent achievement for Dana and the INSPIRE team and recognizes the significant accomplishments of the project to deliver a highly capable and more cost-effective fuel-cell stack,” said Steven Monte, vice president of advanced technologies and strategic planning for Dana’s Power Technologies group. “Both the function of the bipolar plate and the resulting power density of 1.5 W/cm² and 5.7 kW/l are critically important for advancing fuel cell powertrains in the market.”
Dana is one of the pioneers in the research and development of fuel cell technology. Original equipment manufacturers around the world are already using Dana’s bipolar plates in fuel-cell technology as an energy source or range extender in mobile applications.
Dana’s metallic bi-polar plates were recently named a finalist for the 2020 Automotive News PACE Awards. The winners are expected to be announced in March.
SOURCE: DANA
