Publications

Polymer electronic devices and materials have vast potential for future microsystems and could have many advantages over conventional inorganic semiconductor based systems, including ease of manufacturing, cost, weight, flexibility, and the ability to integrate a wide variety of functions on a single platform. Starting materials and substrates are relatively inexpensive and amenable to mass manufacturing methods. This project attempted to plant the seeds for a new core competency in polymer electronics at Sandia National Laboratories. As part of this effort a wide variety of polymer components and devices, ranging from simple resistors to infrared sensitive devices, were fabricated and characterized. Ink jet printing capabilities were established. In addition to promising results on prototype devices the project highlighted the directions where future investments must be made to establish a viable polymer electronics competency.

This report covers research done as part of US Department of Energy contract DE-PS26-99FT14299 with the Fuel Cell Propulsion Institute on the fuel cell RATLER{trademark} vehicle, Lurch, as well as work done on the fuel cells designed for the vehicle. All work contained within this report was conducted at the Robotic Vehicle Range at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque New Mexico. The research conducted includes characterization of the duty cycle of the robotic vehicle. This covers characterization of its various abilities such as hill climbing and descending, spin-turns, and driving on level ground. This was accomplished with the use of current sensors placed in the vehicle in conjunction with a Data Acquisition System (DAS), which was also created at Sandia Labs. Characterization of the two fuel cells was accomplished using various measuring instruments and techniques that will be discussed later in the report. A Statement of Work for this effort is included in Appendix A. This effort was able to complete characterization of vehicle duty cycle elements using battery power, but problems with the fuel cell control systems prevented completion of the characterization of the fuel cell operation on the benchtop and in the vehicle. Some data was obtained characterizing the fuel cell current-voltage performance and thermal rise rate by bypassing elements of the control system.