High Value Manufacturing Catapult

Abstract. Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) electrolyzers are a key to the future of global hydrogen production. However, current systems rely on titanium components manufactured through energy and resource intensive processes which make up a large proportion of the overall capital cost of an electrolyzer stack. In this work circular economy principles have been applied to investigate net shape powder manufacturing routes for these titanium plate and porous film components. Approaches include (1) direct HIP of waste stream materials such as un-melted titanium sponge fines or subtractive machining swarf (2) net shape manufacturing of complex geometries using innovative dissolvable salt space holding inserts (3) in-situ nitriding methods (4) streamlining a large number of processing stages within the existing supply chain. In order to assess the environmental impact of the proposed manufacturing routes an embodied carbon analysis was conducted comparing the emissions potentially generated via this powder process versus the traditional supply chain.

This study investigates the influence of shoe type (sneakers and safety boots), age, and gender on the perception of haptic pulse feedback provided by a prototype accelerator pedal in a running stationary vehicle. Haptic feedback can be a less distracting alternative to traditionally visual and auditory in-vehicle feedback. However, to be effective, the device delivering the haptic feedback needs to be in contact with the person. Factors such as shoe type vary naturally over the season and could render feedback that is perceived well in one situation, unnoticeable in another. In this study, we evaluate factors that can influence the subjective perception of haptic feedback in a stationary but running car: shoe type, age, and gender. Thirty-six drivers within three age groups (≤39, 40-59, and ≥60) took part. For each haptic feedback, participants rated intensity, urgency, and comfort via a questionnaire. The perception of the haptic feedback is significantly influenced by the interaction between the pulse's duration and force amplitude and the participant's age and gender but not shoe type. The results indicate that it is important to consider different age groups and gender in the evaluation of haptic feedback. Future research might also look into approaches to adapt haptic feedback to the individual driver's preferences. Findings from this study can be applied to the design of an accelerator pedal in a car, for example, for a nonvisual in-vehicle warning, but also to plan user studies with a haptic pedal in general.

Fuel cell technology continues to advance and offers to be a potentially promising solution to many energy needs. Of particular interest are manufacturing techniques to improve performance and decrease overall cost. For catalyst deposition on the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), there are a number of techniques that have been used in the past decades. This paper aims to review many of these main techniques that have been published to show the wide variety of catalyst deposition methods.