LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Fuel Cell Systems Lab
Machine-translated · View original
A lab that studies fuel cells and water electrolysis from a mechanical engineering perspective.
AboutAbout the lab
Advancing fuel cells and water electrolysis through mechanical engineering
The Fuel Cell Systems Lab studies fuel cells and water electrolyzers using an approach grounded in mechanical engineering.
From the standpoint of system engineers, the lab pursues research and development on polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and water electrolyzers.
Fuel cells and water electrolyzers are expected to be at the core of a next-generation sustainable energy society. For their full-scale adoption, reducing costs and improving durability and performance remain key challenges.
Key terms
- Polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC)
- A fuel cell that uses a polymer membrane as its electrolyte. It produces water and electricity from hydrogen and oxygen gases
- Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)
- A type of fuel cell that uses a solid oxide as its electrolyte
- Gas diffusion layer
- A layer inside a fuel cell that handles the flow of gas and water and plays a role in water management
- Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
- A method that probes the internal state of a battery by varying the frequency of an electrical signal applied to it and examining the response
ResearchResearch themes
This lab investigates phenomena that occur inside fuel cells and water electrolyzers through measurement and numerical analysis. Research is carried out by teams led by individual faculty members, covering gas–liquid behavior, gas diffusion layers, and electrochemical measurement and simulation.
*Illustrative imageGas–liquid behavior inside electrochemical devices
Because performance drops when water or gas clogs a device, the lab investigates gas–liquid behavior inside low-temperature fuel cells and water electrolyzers using measurement and observation methods it has developed itself, together with numerical analysis. Based on this understanding, it aims to improve performance, and it also studies the dissolution of hydrogen in water in preparation for high-pressure water electrolysis.
High-performance gas diffusion layers for fuel cells
To improve water management in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, the lab studies gas diffusion layers coated with a microporous layer. By varying composition, pore size, porosity, and thickness, it clarifies the effects on water repellency and water permeability, aiming for design guidelines that resist drying out under non-humidified conditions.
*Illustrative imageElectrochemical measurement of the internal state of cells
Using methods such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy on operating fuel cells, electrolysis cells, and lithium-ion batteries, the lab examines their internal state. Together with numerical calculation, it identifies the causes of power loss, leading to degradation diagnosis, optimal control, and proposals for new flow-channel designs and structures.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Fuel Cell Systems Lab are faculty, technical officers, technical staff, administrative assistants, academic researchers, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and research students.As of 2025
- ProfessorKohei Ito
- Associate ProfessorTatsumi Kitahara
VoicesStudent voices
Ratings and reviews reflect the experiences of individual current or former students, not the lab's official views. Whether a lab has reviews, or how many, says nothing about the lab itself.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Student ratings (0 students)
--
--
--
--
--
--
Student voices answer questions like these
- What's great about this lab?
- What did you learn after joining?
- What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
- Who is this lab for?
- Where do graduates go?
Your experience can help younger students choose their lab. Your name won't be shown.
Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopRelatedLabs similar to Fuel Cell Systems Lab
Fusion and Tritium LabInstitute for Sustainable Hydrogen Research, Division of Hydrogen Utilization ResearchDevelopment of next-generation energy systems (nuclear fusio…
Social System Design and Environmental Assessment LabInstitute for Sustainable Hydrogen Research, Division of Hydrogen Utilization ResearchSocial system design and evaluation for a sustainable low-ca…
Social System Design and Environmental Assessment Lab (Yuriko Hayabuchi)Institute for Sustainable Hydrogen Research, Division of Hydrogen Utilization ResearchSocial system design and evaluation for a sustainable low-ca…
Electrode Materials and Porous Transport Layers LabInstitute for Sustainable Hydrogen Research, Division of Hydrogen Utilization ResearchResearch and development of electrode materials (porous diff…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “SOFC solid oxide fuel cell” Luketheslovak / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Gas–liquid behavior inside electrochemical devices: “Solid and liquid argon in small graduated cylinder” No machine-readable author provided. Deglr6328~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Electrochemical measurement of the internal state of cells: “Prototype battery testing ( )” Oak Ridge National Laboratory / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Fusion and Tritium Lab): “Blausen 0530 HydrogenIsotopes” BruceBlaus / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Social System Design and Environmental Assessment Lab): “Electric vehicle charging stations in Stuttgart 1X7A6287” Alexander Migl / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Social System Design and Environmental Assessment Lab (Yuriko Hayabuchi)): “Cleaning solar panels (1053)” Oliver Rudkin / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Electrode Materials and Porous Transport Layers Lab): “Arc welding electrodes and electrode holder.triddle” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.