Intelligent Energy, Dyson, Ricardo and TRW Conekt boost fuel cell system power density more than 30%; reliable cold-start down to -20 °C
16 April 2013
A project, 50% funded by the UK’s Technology Strategy Board and led by power technology company Intelligent Energy, has demonstrated an increase in fuel cell system power density of more than 30% together with reliable cold-start performance at temperatures down to -20 °C.
The project team delivered an improvement in power output from 30kW to 40kW for the chosen test system without increasing system mass or size. Additionally, through the introduction of a new coolant module developed specifically for the project, cold start performance was consistently achieved at temperatures down to -20°C.
The collaborative project, “Enhanced fuel cell systems for real world commercial and passenger vehicle applications”, ran from December 2009 to December 2012, and focused on enhancing the reliability, durability and performance of Intelligent Energy’s fuel cell systems, as well as reducing system weight and costs.
One of the goals was to follow a systems engineering approach with core component modules redesigned, tested and validated against operational criteria to achieve production-intent fuel cell platforms for passenger and light commercial vehicles.
The £2.8-million (US$4.3 million) development project involved collaboration between Intelligent Energy, Dyson Technology, Ricardo and TRW Conekt. The project team also benefited from operational advice from DHL.
Intelligent Energy worked to improve the overall design and integration of the enhanced fuel cell system with Ricardo acting as the customer, providing a comprehensive automotive specification and sign-off at the end of the project.
TRW Conekt validated the integrity of the fuel cell modules through vibration and environmental testing, helping to identify and prevent potential problems.
Dyson Technology developed a compact, high efficiency compressor (a key subsystem for air delivery into the fuel cell system) based on their digital motor technology, which was engineered to integrate into an existing stack enclosure, a component already designed for mass production.
Resources
Warburton, A., Mossop, D., Burslem, B., Rama, P. et al. (2013) Development of an Evaporatively Cooled Hydrogen Fuel Cell System and its Vehicle Application, SAE Technical Paper 2013-01-0475, doi: 10.4271/2013-01-0475
5, 6, .. $figures.
Posted by: kelly | 16 April 2013 at 03:24 PM