Comparison of Direct Deposition Process and Electro-Write Process for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell MEA Manufacturing

Fuel cells are an important source of power for the future. Being in an energy demanding era, we are in dire need of new efficient power sources. However, there are issues regarding fuel cell manufacturing which need urgent attention. The paper discusses the manufacturing of the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell MEA’s by two methods, namely Direct Deposition Process (DDP) and Electro-Write Process (EWP). The comparison is carried out to provide us with the knowhow of the most suitable method for MEA manufacturing. The paper discusses the impact on the cost of the fuel cell by means of comparison of the two processes, the DDP and EWP in terms of their efficiency by a unique method. A new way to compare two processes has been described in this paper. This is important as the process efficiency is a very important deciding parameter for determining the cost of the final product. This paper is an introductory work for forming a basis of comparison.