{"id":12249,"date":"2025-07-01T13:19:42","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T13:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zbt.de\/projects\/opticold-safe-cold-start-for-fuel-cells-in-mobile-applications\/"},"modified":"2025-08-19T13:31:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T13:31:12","slug":"opticold","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/zbt.de\/en\/projects\/opticold\/","title":{"rendered":"OptiCold - Safe cold start for fuel cells in mobile applications"},"content":{"rendered":"
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OptiCold<\/h1>\n

Safe cold start for fuel cells in mobile applications<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The aim of the research project \u2018OptiCold \u2013 Assessment of the cold start capability of PEM fuel cells and development of optimisation strategies for component design\u2019 is to improve the cold start capability<\/strong> of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEM fuel cells) at low ambient temperatures down to -25\u00b0C. Materials, cell structures and operating strategies are to be optimised so that repeated frost starts are possible reliably and without damage, even under extreme conditions \u2013 especially for mobile applications in the heavy-duty sector.<\/p>\n

Funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) as part of industrial joint research (IGF) via the AiF.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Brief description of the project<\/h2>\n

The aim of the OptiCold research project – Assessment of the cold start capability of PEM fuel cells and development of optimisation strategies for component design<\/strong> is to improve the cold start capability of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEM fuel cells) at low ambient temperatures down to -25\u00b0C.
\nMaterials, cell designs and operating strategies are to be optimised so that repeated frost starts are possible reliably and without damage, even under extreme conditions \u2013 especially for mobile applications in the heavy-duty sector.<\/p>\n

The project focuses on identifying and understanding frost-induced damage mechanisms<\/strong> in fuel cell components. Based on this, materials, cell architectures and operating strategies will be further developed in a targeted manner. This includes the development of suitable material combinations (including PFAS-free membrane alternatives), the optimisation of the flow field design and adapted shutdown and flushing procedures to minimise residual water and ice formation.<\/p>\n

OptiCold is being carried out jointly<\/strong> by The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Center GmbH (ZBT)<\/strong> and the Chair of Alternative Vehicle Drives at Chemnitz University of Technology (TUC)<\/strong>. The findings will help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular to develop robust, durable and practical PEM fuel cell components for use in real-world conditions.<\/p>\n

The project started on 1 July 2025 and will run for 30 months.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Contact<\/h3>\n
<\/div>\n
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\n Verena Lukassek\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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\n <\/svg><\/i>\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/svg><\/i>\n \n v.lukassek@zbt.de<\/a>\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n \"Verena\n \n \n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OptiCold develops materials, cell architectures and operating strategies to enable PEM fuel cells to start safely and without damage even at temperatures as low as -25 \u00b0C. The aim is to provide robust, durable and practical solutions, especially for mobile heavy-duty applications. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11980,"parent":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-12249","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"date":"20250701"},"yoast_head":"\nOptiCold - Safe cold start for fuel cells in mobile applications - Zentrum f\u00fcr BrennstoffzellenTechnik GmbH<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/zbt.de\/en\/projects\/opticold\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"OptiCold - Safe cold start for fuel cells in mobile applications - Zentrum f\u00fcr BrennstoffzellenTechnik GmbH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"OptiCold develops materials, cell architectures and operating strategies to enable PEM fuel cells to start safely and without damage even at temperatures as low as -25 \u00b0C. 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