Automotive application cost issues

System integration involves numerous miscellaneous development activities, such as control software to address system start-up, shut-down and transient operation, and thermal sub-systems to accomplish heat recovei y, heat rejection and water recoveiy within the constraints of weight, size, capital and operating costs, reliability, and so on. Depending on the application, there will be additional key issues automotive applications, for example, demand robustness to vibrations, impact, and cold temperatures, since if the water freezes it will halt fuel cell operation. 

Within the past 20 years, tremendous progress has been achieved in PEFC technology, in particular since the automotive industry has joined forces to fmther develop this energy conversion technology with its advantages in efficiency and environmental friendliness. This development has brought about a much deeper understanding of the various functions of the polymer electrolyte in the cell, particularly under duty cycle conditions of automotive applications. As a further and utmost prerequisite, the cost issue came to every one s attention. 

Typical bonded applications include automotive roof and hatchback bonding, as well as commercial transportation driver cabins. As material choices continue to diversify, this adhesive solution is addressing market concerns that focus on cost efficiencies, weight reduction, styling and design options, and environmental issues centered around fuel efficiency. 

Especially for mass applications such as automotive, a full life cycle assessment (LCA) is absolutely critical. Since there are a lot of embedded resources such as noble metal catalysts and energy for manufacturing fuel cells, LCA very much depends on aspects such as recyclability and lifetime. For the operation period itself, cost, performance, and durability issues are important. But a complete picture must also consider aspects of specific applications including how they are connected in future energy scenarios. 

Polyimide material has been used in low volume since the early 1980s. Broad acceptance was always hmited by cost and fabrication issues.This material family should be specified only for systems that must operate with high rehabUity in an extreme environment, such as a high ambient temperature or extremes in thermal cycling. This includes some mUitary applications and potentially a few consumer applications such as under-hood automotive electronics. For most commercial applications, lower-cost materials—such as conventional epoxy blended with CE or PPO resin— may be used. 

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