Stéphane Chevalier, Associate Professor at the Bordeaux-Talence campus, recently obtained ANR funding for the I2MPAC project. He presents this project to us.
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Stéphane Chevalier and I am a lecturer at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Bordeaux-Talence. After completing a thesis on the characterization and modeling of fuel cells in Nantes, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, where I performed synchrotron X-ray imaging for application to fuel cells. This research provided a better understanding of the role of different materials within these systems and helped improve their performance. After more than two years in Canada, I was able to return to France with a European research grant (Marie Curie grant) to continue the research I had begun in Canada on improving the performance and characterization techniques of fuel cells. Once this work was completed, I was fortunate enough to join Arts et Métiers Bordeaux as a senior lecturer in 2018. I teach energy and heat transfer to first- and second-year PGE students. On the research side, I work in the TREFLE department of I2M as part of the Thermal Imaging and Characterization team.
What is an ANR project?
The French National Research Agency (ANR) was created in 2005 to promote excellence in French research, support fundamental research, encourage academic and public-private scientific partnerships, and foster European and international cooperation.
To this end, it issues competitive calls for projects and implements rigorous selection processes. The selection process takes place in two stages:
- A 4-page preliminary proposal is submitted, presenting the research project along with its objectives, the resources to be used, the expected results, the budget, and the partners. Thirty percent of these preliminary proposals are selected.
- A detailed description of the project is required (20 pages), presenting the scientific progress corresponding to the project and its feasibility. It is also important to show that the research project fits in well with the laboratory teams and existing research topics.
What does the I2MPAC ( Multiphysics Imaging for Microfluidic Fuel Cells) project involve ?
Currently, storing energy from renewable and intermittent sources is a major challenge for their widespread deployment. The aim is to synchronize production with demand in order to reduce energy costs, among other things. A study by ADEME has shown that by 2030, an installed electrical storage capacity of 600 MW in France would lead to savings of €150 million per year on energy costs. Among the technologies currently available, microfluidic fuel cells (MFCs) enable direct storage of electricity in electrochemical form. They also have the advantage of being able to store large amounts of electricity in fluids (and vice versa) quickly and at a relatively low cost. The state of the art shows that the efficiency of this technology, currently around 30%, can be greatly improved through detailed, in situ knowledge of the mass, charge, and heat transfers that drive energy conversion. This is precisely the aim of the I2MPAC project, which will last 42 months (starting October 1): to develop a multiphysics imager for characterizing microfluidic fuel cells in order to improve their design.
What are the objectives of the I2MPAC project?
The objectives of this project are to measure heat, mass, and charge transfers within microfluidic fuel cells. This knowledge will enable us to improve their design for better efficiency and safety.
All of this work will be promoted through several scientific publications in specialized journals. There are also plans to participate in several international conferences to present this work.
In terms of training, a doctoral student will be recruited and trained during this project. This will contribute to the training of young doctors specializing in characterization techniques for renewable energies.
How do I2M's skills and resources add value to this project?
The I2M's Thermal Imaging and Characterization research team is one of the most recognized teams in France and internationally for the development of non-contact characterization methods. It has a wide range of cutting-edge measuring equipment (infrared cameras, spectrometers, lasers, etc.) and has developed numerous simulation and image processing tools.
The I2MPAC project draws heavily on these skills. The originality of the project therefore lay in applying the team's entire expertise in multispectral thermal characterization to microfluidic fuel cells. Thanks to this new research, the team will also gain new measurement methods for electrochemical systems, paving the way for new applications.
Finally, the project also includes an outreach component, with presentations at science festivals and training centers.
In the current context, with France seeking to become a major player in the hydrogen sector, it is very important for Arts et Métiers play Arts et Métiers active Arts et Métiers , as we need to improve the design of these systems. The I2MPAC project is fully in line with this approach and will contribute to Arts et Métiers visibility Arts et Métiers a leading university for the technologies of tomorrow, particularly those related to hydrogen.
