Our mission is to promote and support the growth of an electrochemistry industry by providing technological leadership with a vigorous program of research, development and demonstration. By serving as a locus for academic talent of the highest caliber and a non-profit site for the objective evaluation and improvement of industrial products, our goal is to become a primary leader for the understanding and advancement of fuel cell, electrolyzer, and battery technology.
We aim to help industry advance the technology and commercialization of electrocatalytic processes by training graduate students and performing research within the areas of:
The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Center is located in the Department of Chemical Engineering in the Horizon I Building at the University of South Carolina. Our research center is focused on the integrated study of electrochemical systems, including electrolyzers, fuel cells, and batteries. Electrolyzers have a wide range of applications and are of interest for combined hydrogen and high-value chemical production. Fuel cells continue to show promise as a future power source for automobiles, residences and commercial products. Batteries are key to integration of energy storage for power on demand. We work closely with industry to develop and advance electrocatalytic processes that will serve companies all over the world.
On-demand production of hydrogen is vital for development of alternative fuels for naval vessels. Work will focus on the use of polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes developed by collaborator Dr. Brian Benicewicz and will also include an economic evaluation of the technology, led by Dr. Claudio Corgnale (CC Energy Consulting).
The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Center will be working with a consortium of partners, including Avcarb and UC-Irvine on the design, characterization, and industrial-scale domestic manufacturing of gas diffusion materials for use in fuel cells.
The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Center at USC will work with South Carolina Department of Commerce, JTEKT, Celadyne, and Fraunhofer USA on the development, characterization, and manufacturing of bipolar plates for kilowatt-scale electrolyzer stacks. The HFCC will be responsible for modeling the fluid flows within the electrolyzer to optimize the flow-field design of the bipolar plates and conducting performance testing of small-scale stacks.
The chemical giant BASF, based in Ludwigshafen, Germany, is collaborating with the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Center to explore and develop new electrochemical synthesis methods for recycling industrial byproducts in simpler and more economical ways. This partnership also draws on the expertise of Dr. Brian Benicewicz, known worldwide for his work in polymers and polymer membranes.
Hyzon Motors, headquartered in Rochester, NY, has continued a partnership with the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Center at the University of South Carolina to determine how catalyst-coated membranes degrade when subjected to accelerated stress tests that are relevant to heavy-duty vehicles.
General Motors Company continues to collaborate with Dr. Shimpalee to develop a microstructure model for lithium-ion batteries.
Dr. Shimpalee is participating in three recent awarded projects from Savannah River National Laboratory. His team will 1) develop multiscale modeling to predict electromagnetic-assisted electrochemical conversion of CO2 to High Value Chemicals, 2) develop the model reaction and multi-phase transport of liquids and gases in a chromatographic column for the separation of various gases, and 3) develop the model that can predict waste reduction using SRNL Vapor Digestion Technology.