FRONTIERS PHOTONICS
MANUFACTURING
MANUFACTURING LASER WELDING OF FUEL CELLS
Lasers to enable hydrogen-powered future
Manufacturing the complex structures within fuel cells at high speeds is only possible with lasers
L
ithium-ion batteries are currently the go-to option for consumer electric vehicles, but they do not meet the
needs of the trucking industry, where long-haul journeys and heavy loads are commonplace. Hydrogen fuel cell propulsion systems are being developed to help meet these needs, and lasers play a huge role in their production. Hydrogen not only offers long ranges and burns cleanly – the only byproduct being water and heat – but vehicles can be refuelled with it almost as fast as petrol/ diesel engines, meaning no long waits for batteries to recharge. Development of hydrogen fuel cell trucks
is already being driven by established vehicle manufacturers including Toyota, Daimler, Hyundai and Volvo, as well as by start-ups such as Nikola Motor. Suppliers and OEMs have already begun small-series production of fuel cells. New manufacturing facilities with a larger production capacity are currently under construction or at the planning stage across the globe. The key to unlocking a hydrogen-powered
future is mastering the manufacturing of the stack, which unless overcome will keep the manufacturing cost of fuel cells – and consequently the cost of hydrogen-powered vehicles – very high.
These stacks consist of 200 to 500
“The manufacture of bipolar plates accounts for 28% of the cost of fuel cells”
bipolar plates welded together, and while lasers have the potential to contribute to many stages of the manufacturing process, including the cutting and cleaning of the plates, it is the welding that could potentially have the greatest impact on driving down the cost of producing the cells. “What limits the industry breakthrough, is
that the bipolar plates are a very significant part of the production cost of the fuel cells. There are other challenges of course, such
34 Photonics Frontiers 2023
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