Plansee to showcase its fuel cell components at Hannover Fair

April 13, 2016

Plansee will once again be showcasing its range of fuel cell interconnects at the Hannover trade fair, April 25-29, Hannover, Germany. Interconnects are vital components in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) and the technology makes a decisive contribution to the further development in both mobile and stationary applications.

The production of interconnects demands a detailed and wide-ranging knowledge of various material alloys and specialist expertise throughout the entire manufacturing chain. Plansee manufactures all its products, including the interconnects, using Powder Metallurgy processes. Using this production method, it is possible, for example, to create different structures on the top and bottom side independently on the same interconnect.

“Plansee is one of the few suppliers that is able to manufacture high-quality interconnects for the SOFC sector in large-scale quantities using Powder Metallurgical techniques. In parallel to our role as supplier to a range of companies, we are involved in many development projects,” stated Dr Werner Schulmeyer, who is responsible for fuel cells at Plansee.

Plansee offers suitable alloy materials for different SOFC cell types since it is vital that the interconnects and the cell itself are optimally harmonised. One critical parameter here is the coefficient of thermal expansion of the components. Only if compatible values are chosen for the cell and the interconnects is it possible to avoid the generation of critical mechanical stresses during the thermal cycles to which the components are exposed.

“The required profiles are imprinted at the time the powder is compacted. There is therefore no need for any subsequent machining, time-consuming welding operations to bond multipart, formed sheet metal components, or forging processes. Powder Metallurgy is vitally important in order to be able to manufacture large-scale quantities economically and at a consistent quality,” added Schulmeyer.

Plansee has already gained over 20 years’ experience in the development and manufacture of components of SOFC fuel cell applications and has repeatedly demonstrated the long-term durability of the finished interconnects. The most recent example is the long-term testing of a solid oxide fuel cell by the Jülich research centre which started in 2007.

Today, the high-temperature fuel cell stack is still running and currently holds the world record with nearly 80,000 hours of operation so far. Plansee originally supplied the interconnects for this stack. This result is an important and encouraging signal showing that the desired stack lifetimes can also be transferred into commercial applications. This is an important prerequisite for the economic operation of SOFC fuel cell systems and one of the Plansee Group’s many contributions to the ecologically responsible power generation solutions of the future.

Plansee can be visited at the Hanover trade fair: Hall 27 Stand C71.

www.plansee.com

plansee-sofc

 

Recent issue of Powder Metallurgy review - your go-to resource to stay updated on the world of powder metallurgy and metal powders

In the latest issue of PM Review…

PM Review Spring 2023

Download PDF

Extensive Powder Metallurgy industry news coverage, and the following exclusive deep-dive articles and reports:

  • GKN Powder Metallurgy: A strategic vision for the future of permanent magnets for EVs
  • Building trust in the Powder Metallurgy industry: The role of standardisation and an update on recent work by ISO/TC 119
  • High-volume powder production for Additive Manufacturing: SMS group’s continuous metal powder production process
  • Development of enhanced-performance PM brake pads for high-speed trains by Beijing Tianyishangjia New Material Corp., Ltd.
  • The START project: Creating a sustainable supply chain for green energy harvesting products by Powder Metallurgy
  • World PM2022: Reviewing three innovative methods for metal powder production

The latest news from the world of metal powders, delivered to your inbox

Don't miss any new issue of PM Review, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our weekly newsletter.

Sign up

Join our community

From the industry…

Discover our magazine archive…

The free-to-access PM Review magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of Powder Metallurgy from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading PM part manufacturers, metal powder manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

 

Browse the archive

 

Looking for PM production equipment, metal powders, R&D support and more?

Discover suppliers of these and more in our
advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of PM Review magazine.

  • Powders & materials
  • Powder process, classification & analysis
  • PM products
  • Atomisers & powder production technology
  • Compaction presses, tooling & ancillaries
  • Sintering equipment & ancillaries
  • Post-processing
  • Consulting & toll sintering
Download PDF
Share via
Copy link