Air-Cooled Fuel Cell for Low Power Mobility Application Indian Oil Corporation

Format:

Book

Conference/Event

Author/Creator:

Singh, Sauhard, author.

Contributor:

Badhe, Rajesh

Bera, Tapan

Chaudhari, Chinmay

Sharma, Alok

Sonkar, Kapil

Srivastva, Umish

Sundarraman, Meenakshi

Conference Name:

Symposium on International Automotive Technology (2026) (2026-01-28 : Pune, India)

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource cm

Place of Publication:

Warrendale, PA SAE International 2026

Summary:

Fuel cell technology is gaining prominence as a clean, efficient, and scalable power solution for electric mobility, addressing key limitations of conventional battery systems such as long charging times, limited range, and declining performance in high-utilization applications. Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) offer high energy density, rapid refueling, and robust operation under varying load conditions, making them particularly suitable for light electric vehicles such as two-wheelers, e-rickshaws and range extenders. Within the broader category of PEMFCs, air-cooled fuel cells present unique advantages for mobility applications. Their simplified architecture eliminates the need for complex liquid cooling systems, leading to lower system weight, reduced component count, and easier integration. This translates into a compact, lightweight, and cost-effective power unitideal for vehicles where space, weight, and maintenance constraints are critical.The market for air-cooled fuel cells is expanding globally, driven by demand for lightweight and portable mobility solutions. Specific application segments include electric two-wheelers (300500 W), which are rapidly gaining ground in Asian markets; e-rickshaws (23 kW), a promising Indian market segment seeking alternatives to fossil fuel and lead-acid battery systems. Additionally, the system is well-suited for use as a range extender in electric mobility platforms, offering extended operational duration without compromising on vehicle packaging or efficiency.This work presents an indigenously developed air-cooled PEMFC system designed specifically for low power mobility applications. Indigenous Pt/C catalyst for fuel cell application which meets DoE durability target (30k AST cycles) has been developed. The stack comprises of an innovative flow field configuration for uniform reactant distribution, and advanced thermal management strategy that ensures efficient heat dissipation. The indigenously developed fuel cell stack tailored for Indian weather conditions (5°-45°C, 30-100% RH) achieves critical performance targets including high power density (400-500 W/L), small footprint and mass (600-700 W/kg) at par with leading commercial fuel cell solution providers. This development signifies a critical step toward self-reliant, sustainable, and high-performance power solutions for next-generation electric and green mobility in India and beyond

Notes:

Vendor supplied data

Publisher Number:

2026-26-0255

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license