Electric Assist Bicycle using a Direct Borohydride Fuel Cell

摘要

Hydrogen PEM fuel cells have received most attention for portable power for traction applications, but to date the persistent problems of cost and the need for a hydrogen infrastructure have not been solved, and so commercial applications have been limited. We have developed an alternative fuel cell system based on the direct oxidation of borohydride, that we believe will be commercially practical as a portable power supply. We are initially applying this fuel cell in the operation of an electric bicycle. We have minimized the cost of our fuel cell by eliminating the need for platinum-metal group catalysts while still delivering the performance necessary for this application.