General information
Organisation
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.
Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.
The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
Reference
2024-32963
Position description
Category
Chemistry
Contract
Postdoc
Job title
Development of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) at CEA-LITEN (Grenoble)
Subject
Postdoc position on the development of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) at CEA-LITEN (Grenoble)
Contract duration (months)
24
Job description
In a context of decarbonisation of the economy, the hydrogen sector is booming. In particular, low-temperature fuel cells of the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) type are emerging as a relevant solution for heavy transport. In Europe, industries supported by the members of the European Union are investing massively in its deployment while continuing research and development work in
partnership with national institutes to improve this technology. In particular, France is a leading country with several companies producing stacks, systems and vehicles, working in collaboration with research centers such as the CEA, with over 25 years of expertise in the field.
PEMFC appears has a very promising technology to decarbonise heavy duty transportation applications. Those applications require however, substantial increase in nominal operating temperature of PEMFC from around 80°C to at least up to 95°C. This leads to severe increase in the constraints on the material which must be improved. The PEMFC95 project to which this post-doc belongs is supported by the Priority Research Programme and Equipment on Decarbonated Hydrogen (PEPR-H2). The aim of the PEMFC95 project is to develop a fuel cell
operating at 95°C that meets the performance and lifetime criteria for the heavy transport application.
Arnaud Morin and Christine Nayoze-Coynel, both of whom have renowned expertise in the field of fuel cell development and characterization, will supervise you for a period of 2 years. You will be employed by CEA-Grenoble and will work with permanent and nonpermanent laboratory staff, engineers and technicians (men and women), to discuss your ideas, carry out your experiments and analyse the data. As your work is part of a national project, you will also be working with academic partners in charge of developing materials such as anodic and cathodic electro-catalysts and polymer membranes.
What you will do:
- Develop Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) for PEMFC operating at 95°C integrating the new materials developed by the academic partners (CNRS and University)
- Define and carry out fuel cell tests on automatic test benches allowing precise variation of operating parameters
- Analyze the results of electrochemical characterizations (polarization curve, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) to understand and quantify the most limiting phenomena
- Present the progress of the work at project meetings every 6 months in presence of the consortium members
- Participate in the drafting of project reports
- Publish your work (at least one)
- Present the results in international conferences (1/year)
- File patent if relevant
Applicant Profile
What you bring to the table:
- Your PhD in the field of materials and/or electrochemistry
- Key technical skills: proton exchange membrane fuel cell, , ink formulation, materials/processes, electrochemical characterisations
What you can expect:
- In the heart of the Alps, an exceptional and internationally recognised scientific ecosystem, in a city committed to the environmental transition "Grenoble European Green Capital 2022"
- A balance between private and professional life (50 days off/year), an
active Works Council for leisure and extra-professional activities
- Salary according to your qualifications and experience, access to a
savings scheme funded by the CEA,
- Industrial-grade facilities for research
- Participation to scientific conferences
- Training to strengthen your skills or acquire new ones
Position location
Site
Grenoble
Job location
France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Isère (38)
Location
Grenoble
Candidate criteria
Languages
English (Fluent)
Requester
Position start date
01/01/2025