Applications Fuel cell Fuel cell and microporous thermal insulation. WDS® - an ideal combination!
Given the advantages of fuel cells in mobile and stationary applications, there is the evident necessity to keep cell dimensions as compact as possible. Therefore the use of a highly efficient thermal insulation material is a key issue. WDS® Microporous Insulation offers highly effective thermal insulation which can reduce the overall size of fuel cells.
WDS® is successfully used in SOFC or PAFC as cell insulation. It can withstand permanent temperatures of up to 1000°C. Additionally, it can be incorporated into vacuum insulation with even lower thermal conductivity. WDS® can equally be used as insulation for fuel reformers.
WDS® consists of inorganic oxides and is therefore completely incombustible. The main component is a pyrogenic silica with a primary particle size of 7-20nm and a surface area of up to 300m²/g. The small particle and pore sizes result in an extremely low thermal conductivity. This, in combination with infra-red opacifiers leads to excellent insulation properties.
The main advantages of WDS® are:
- low thermal conductivity (<0.005W/mK at 10Pa)
- absolute thermal shock resistance
- high temperature capability up to 1000°C
- not combustible
- flexibility in shapes due to self-supporting structure
- non-hazardous (no ceramic fibres)
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