This topic focuses on:

• developments to ensure improved system performance combined with its extended lifetime by addressing BoP components, including new developments on BoP sub-systems, and module/system interactions with respect to efficiency, reliability, durability and cost. The improvement is expected from a combined approach addressing the architecture and operation strategies of a system both supported by the development or redesign of at least one BoP component preventing optimized efficiency at beginning of life and over the long term. Moreover, primary focus will be on heavy-duty road applications, within the boundaries of STaSHH definitions for the actual validation of results, even though spillover benefits in other transport modes shall be highlighted.
• 100 to 220 kW modules, the range identified by the StaSHH project for the heavy-duty-on-road cases, which is identified as the leading field of application to be considered here. Scalability by implementing several modules towards very large power when needed as well as spillover effects of new BoP solutions to other transport modes will be considered in the further exploitation of results, as additional outputs.

R&I activities to be addressed should consistently include the following to achieve the expected results:

• Understanding and assessment of irreversible and reversible degradations attributed to system operation conditions specified for the targeted application, following a coupled experimental / modelling approach (e.g., analysing and quantifying issues associated with the different usage modes, specific situations or conditions, transients);
• Development of solutions to mitigate irreversible and regenerate reversible degradation by acting on the PEMFC system strategies or redesigning BoP architectures. This could include identifying requirements for BoP-components to perform robust start-up, shut-down in nominal or extreme conditions, and plans for demonstration of identified solutions;
• Pursue BoP behaviour analysis and diagnostics for appropriate BoP and system state of health monitoring, (development of specific measuring tools, procedures, real and virtual sensors, algorithms, and prognostic based methodology; as well as digital twin approach could be considered for effective control over the long-term);
• Identifying within the BoP architecture, individual or combined elements affecting the performance likely to reduce reliability and durability. This could include issues related to materials used (for example risk of emissions causing contamination) or functional requirements (for example dynamics);
• Carrying out required development and optimisation of identified less robust BoP component(s) (ground-up redesign of at least one component or one sub-system);
• Developing solutions for optimised assembly of the selected items, also linking the approach with the best suited sub-system or system management (on this item modular multi scale architectures could be a viable approach);
• Assessing BoP components (or subsystems) managing the fuel or the air supply: feeding sources and modes (compression, circulation, purges etc) and operating conditions profiles (like pressure, flow, relative humidity) along with the devices used to control them, could be particularly relevant for improving performance stability at module management scale;
• Validation of improvement (at system/module or BoP component level) of the overall system reliability and serviceability thanks to optimised Fuel Cell System management
• Assessing manufacturability aspects for the ground-up redesigned BoP components to meet system cost targets (techno-economic assessment regarding impact on BoP improvements and manufacturing of the newly developed components).
• Carrying out a techno-economic assessment to demonstrate the progress toward reducing the CAPEX of fuel cells, associated to the work in BoP development, including manufacturing aspects regarding newly developed BoP components;

The final aim of the topic is to demonstrate efficiency and durability improvements for selected specifications, at representative scale in a real or emulated system environment.

The developments on the FC stack or stack components are not in the scope of this topic.