The Birmingham Fuel Cells Group (FCG) is part of the School of Chemical Engineering within the College of Engineering & Physical Sciences at The University of Birmingham. It was formed in early 2000 by the director, Professor Kevin Kendall. The FCG is nationally and internationally recognised for its dynamism and expertise in Fuel Cell Technologies. It is also part of the £6.5million Advantage West Midlands Science City initiative, £1billion ETI Midlands Consortium and has recently been awarded £5.5million (EPSRC) for the creation and running of a Doctoral Training Centre in Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and their Applications, the first of its kind in the UK.
Do you want to invest in this technology? see here on how you can sponsor a project.
The group is focusing on two main fuel cell activities, each headed by Dr Waldemar Bujalski (Head of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) and Dr Bruno G. Pollet (Head of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell). The FCG focuses on Research and Development, applications and demonstrations of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell systems; and has numerous publications & patents in Fuel Cell Technologies. The group also has state of the art facilities and is home to England's first hydrogen filling station (Launched 14/04/08) and hydrogen powered house (Launched 10/10/08) a hydrogen fuel cell Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and five hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The FCG also focuses on the implementation of a Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Supply Chain in the West Midlands and the UK with currently 55 SMEs developing and manufacturing HFC components.
Perhaps the most significant measure of the standing of the FCG is the worldwide press and TV coverage that has been obtained during 2008. Editorials in the Times and The Guardian, pictures in The Sunday Times, discussions on Radio 4 Today Programme, coverage on Sky News, BBC News 24, BBC Breakfast, ITV News, Channel 4 News, Midlands Today, CNN, Al-Jazeera TV and the Gadget Show have indicated wide public interest - see here.
The major FCG research areas are in the:
Performance and Durability of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) and Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) for domestic and automotive applications
Supply Chain Research Applied To Clean Hydrogen - SCRATCH
DBERR Project Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles
Development of Fuel Cells demonstration projects
Development of novel MEA and sub-components (individual multi-layer) for PEMFC
Design and optimisation of Micro-SOFC for use on Hydrocarbon Fuels
Modelling of Single Chamber Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SC-SOFCs)
Development of novel nano-sized electrocatalysts materials by Chemical synthesis, Microwave and Sonoelectrochemistry
Fuel Reforming
SOFC Formulation
Fuel Cell Integration
Modelling of fuel cells
CABLED: - Coventry and Birmingham Low Emissions Demonstration
For further information, please contact Professor Kevin Kendall.
Site maintained by Dr Aman Dhir
Hydrogen Pump Launched!
‘We are delighted to be the home of England’s only hydrogen gas filling station. It is absolutely necessary that we have the means to refuel our fleet of hydrogen powered cars so that we can carry out our research project into the feasibility of hydrogen in a transport context.’ - Professor Kevin Kendall
Midlands selected as national energy institute!
Representatives from the Midlands Consortium say they are absolutely delighted by the announcement that the group has been chosen to host a new £1 billion national institute to develop cleaner energies.The Midlands Consortium is comprised of the universities of Birmingham, Loughborough and Nottingham - three world-class partners, all with extensive and complementary energy related research activities.
