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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S80455/01
Title: Mechanisms of proton conduction in minimally hydrated ion-containing polymers
Principal Investigator: Elliott, Professor JA
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Materials Science & Metallurgy
Organisation: University of Cambridge
Scheme: First Grant Scheme Pre-FEC
Starts: 01 March 2004 Ends: 30 April 2006 Value (£): 121,517
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Fuel Cell Technologies Heat & Mass Transfer
Materials Characterisation Materials Synthesis & Growth
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The development of efficient fuel cells, powered by hydrogen and generating pure water as their waste product, promises to displace current petroleumbased technologies, such as the internal combustion engine, and could lead to a future in which toxic emissions from vehicles or power plants are eliminated from dense urban settlements or sensitive rural environments. However, in order for this objective to be realised, there are some important technological problems to be solved that involve understanding water and ion transport through the polymer membrane that sits at the heart of all fuel cell designs. Like a biological membrane around a cell, this allows a controlled flow of ions from which power can be extracted whilst preventing the raw components from mixing. In cells, it is known that there are certain proteins that can conduct small ions very efficiently across the membrane. In this project, we seek to understand the fundamental mechanisms of such ion transport so that we can design membranes that will function many times more efficiently than current materials. As well as being scientifically interesting in their own right, the answers to such questions should lead very quickly to improvements in fuel cell technology.
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Project URL: http://www.elliotts.org.uk
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.cam.ac.uk