Powering the Future with Clean Hydrogen Innovation
MIE Associate Professor Yi Zheng has received a $500,000 research grant from ARCK Energy, Inc. (Los Altos, CA) to lead a five-year research project for “Enhanced Performance of a Novel Proton-exchange Membrane (PEM)-based Fuel Cell System”, with an option for an additional $500,000 renewal beyond the initial term. Zheng will lead a multidisciplinary research team at Northeastern University in close collaboration with ARCK Energy to deliver highly efficient advanced proton exchange membranes (PEM+) for hydrogen fuel cell applications. The research aims to significantly improve fuel cell efficiency, durability, and thermal management, addressing key limitations of current hydrogen power systems.
Global energy issues are mounting, including the depletion of fossil fuels, outdated energy grids, limited solar and wind capacity, expensive nuclear power, and insufficient supply to meet global demand. These challenges are exacerbated by increasing energy needs from sectors like AI data centers and electric vehicles. Energy demand is constantly increasing, outpacing supply growth. Current market solutions are inefficient, insufficient, costly, and environmentally unsustainable. Challenges plague energy production, storage, and delivery. Overreliance on lithium battery storage represents an ongoing challenge with complex environmental, social, economic, and political ramifications. Li-ion batteries are not a complete solution to energy demands as they do not make electricity – they are not a power source. The present state-of-the-art of H2 fuel cells is primitive and inefficient, generating excessive waste heat, and poorly suited for directly driving real electrical loads. Hydrogen is an inexhaustible source of energy so long that it can be extracted, stored, and converted into electrical power on an as-needed basis. While hydrogen is a clean and abundant energy carrier, today’s fuel cell technologies remain limited by inefficiencies and excess waste heat, constraining their widespread deployment for real-world electrical loads. Advancing core fuel cell components is therefore critical to unlocking hydrogen’s potential as a reliable, on-demand power source.
ARCK Energy, Inc. is a pioneer of intelligent buffered hydrogen fuel cell systems designed for residential, commercial, data center, mobility, and microgrid applications. The company is led by experienced technologists and entrepreneurs focused on transforming the generation, storage, and delivery of sustainable electrical power through patented innovations. ARCK’s systems integrate advanced proton exchange membranes, buffered hydrogen fuel cells, and intelligent power electronics to deliver reliable, cost-effective, and continuous power. According to Ahmad Qazi, Founder and CEO, and Richard Williams, Chief Technology Officer of ARCK Energy, Inc., “Our Hydrogen fuel cell technology is creating a New Energy Paradigm and will be a driving force in private power generation, and collaboration between the ARCK team and Zheng has already advanced the performance of one of the most critical components of this technology.” ARCK’s energy platforms incorporate advanced PEM+ membranes, low-profile fuel cell stacks, high-current intelligent buffered fuel cells, and flexible hydrogen storage options, including both pressurized and solid-state configurations. These systems are designed for safe operation, retrofit compatibility with existing buildings, and autonomous power generation, including configurations coupled with solar-powered hydrogen production.
The collaboration between Northeastern University and ARCK Energy, Inc. reflects a shared commitment to advancing sustainable energy technologies and accelerating the transition to resilient, low-carbon power systems capable of meeting growing global energy demands.