Commissariat a l Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
(CEA)
CEA (French Atomic and Alternative Energy Commission) is a research state agency for nuclear energy, employing a staff of 16000 people. The Research & Technologies Division (DRT), one of the four operating divisions, manages activities on the new technologies for energy (photovoltaic, batteries, H2 and fuel cells) and nanomaterials with the LITEN (Laboratory of Innovations on Technologies for new Energies and Nanomaterials), technological research institute (staff: 1000?) in charge of this proposal for the CEA.
In order to support industrial developments in the field of renewable energy, an ambitious research program on electrochemical energy storage was initiated in the late 1990’s. CEA works at the different levels of the development, which is necessary to improve the efficiency and the quality of the new technologies routes (incl. low and high temperature technologies for fuel cells and water electrolysers). More than 50 persons are now working on PEFC in the labs of the LITEN involved. They aim is to develop, in cooperation with research groups and industries, PEFC components, stacks and systems mainly for transportation applications but also for stationary applications (ex: GENEPAC with PSA Peugeot Citroën; ZéroCO2 sailboat; prototypes for tractors, planes; EPICEA 2kWe generator). These developments are based on the following skills: components development including MEA fabrication and bipolar plates design, in-situ and ex-situ electrochemical characterization, physical properties measurements and microstructure analyses, local in-situ instrumentation, physical modelling from components to system, design and manufacturing of stacks and systems prototypes. For fuel cells development and studies, CEA/LITEN has several hydrogen platforms for testing single cells, stacks (from 0.1 to 10kW) and systems; equipments for manufacturing materials and fuel cell components; and direct access to Minatec nano-characterization platform. Members of CEA/LITEN are also actively involved in the standardization activities on hydrogen quality for automotive and stationary applications (ISO TC 197 WG 12 and 14).
