Fuel Cells and Batteries

The Electrochemical Engineering Laboratory collaborates closely with the Materials Engineering Research Group, the National Centre for Advanced Tribology at Southampton and the Electrochemistry and Surface Science Group.  The Laboratory is routinely involved in consultancy (via the Research Institute for Industry) and research projects as well as short courses. Expertise and research interests include: (a) energy conversion (development of improved redox flow cell components for batteries such as: soluble lead-acid, vanadium-vanadium and zinc-cerium cells), (b) engineering of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), characterization of membrane and electrode materials for PEMFCs, (c) improvements in electrocatalysts for direct borohydride fuel cells, (d) electrochemical reactor design and reaction environment in electrochemical cells, (e) nanomaterials for energy conversion: synthesis, microscopy and electrochemistry of nanostructured titanium dioxide, protonated titanates and other transition metal oxides. (as hydrogen storage media and as electrocatalyst supports for borohydride and other fuel cells), (e) corrosion of metals, coatings and surface engineering, (f) marine corrosion engineering and flow simulation, (g) mass transport, potential distribution and fluid dispersion in electrochemical reactors, (h) selection and deployment of electroplated and anodised coatings (especially nanostructured and composite types) for the engineering and electronics industries, and (i) current-, flow- and potential distributions in rotating, porous and three-dimensional electrodes.