Open Fuel Cell Project: Open Research for Knowledge Transfer in the Energy Transition

In her presentation, Theresa Schredelseker, Head of the Science Management and Communication Office at the ZBT, introduced the Open Fuel Cell Project and explained how open research and development approaches can help make innovative energy technologies accessible to the general public. Open hardware makes it possible to transparently document scientific developments, collaborate on their further development, and thereby create new forms of cooperation between research, education, industry, and civil society.

The Open Fuel Cell was also presented live during the event. Burghard Lutter, who played a key role in advancing the development of the fuel cell, commissioned the system on site and explained its design and operation. The demonstration gave participants the opportunity to talk with ZBT researchers and discuss current developments in fuel cell research as well as the potential of open hardware concepts.

The Open Fuel Cell Project aims to provide a PEM fuel cell as freely accessible open-source hardware. All design data, CAD models, bills of materials, manufacturing documents, and technical documentation are made publicly available. This enables research institutions, universities, companies, makerspaces, and interested users to understand the fuel cell, replicate it, use it for teaching and demonstration purposes, and further develop it as part of their own research and development work.

The project is guided by the fundamental principles of Open Science: transparency, traceability, and the collaborative advancement of scientific knowledge. Making the development documentation openly available is intended not only to facilitate access to fuel cell technology, but also to accelerate innovation, strengthen knowledge transfer, and promote international collaboration. At the same time, Open Fuel Cell offers a low-threshold platform for education and training in the field of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and helps to convey this key technology in a clear and accessible way.

For more information on the Open Fuel Cell Project, as well as all freely available design and development documents, please visit https://openfuelcell.org/.