Jan Gimpelj Takes Third Place at World Fuel Cell Conference 2026 in Japan

Gimpelj presented his research entitled "Coupled chemo-mechanical degradation in PEM fuel cell membranes". The 3-Minute Thesis competition challenges PhD students to explain their research in just three minutes, presenting complex scientific topics in a clear and engaging way to an audience beyond their immediate field of expertise.

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At the LICeM Laboratory, Gimpelj is developing advanced computational models to predict membrane degradation in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. His doctoral research is supervised by Prof. Tomaž Katrašnik and co-supervised by Assoc. Prof. Nikolaj Mole.

The membrane is one of the most sensitive components of a PEM fuel cell, as it is exposed to both chemical and mechanical stresses during operation. Gimpelj's research combines these two degradation mechanisms in a coupled computational model that can predict the initiation and growth of microscopic cracks and pinholes that may eventually lead to fuel cell failure.

By predicting these processes, the model can help estimate fuel cell lifetime already at the design stage, potentially reducing the need for lengthy and costly experimental testing.

The research is carried out within BLESSED, a European Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network.

The World Fuel Cell Conference is a major international event in the field of fuel cell research. Gimpelj's third-place finish among 16 young researchers highlights both the relevance of the research carried out at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the importance of communicating complex scientific work clearly to a wider audience.

More information about the conference can be found here.