Commercialisation of a Novel and Efficient Air Compressor to Improve the Economic Viability of Hydrogen Fuel Cells

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Ongoing environmental and health concerns associated with the use of fossil fuels is driving demand for clean energy sources. For example, countries including China, the UK, Germany, India and France intend to ban new internal combustion vehicles within ~20 years. Battery powered electric vehicles have an important role to play, but they continue to be limited by range and charging time, so there is increasing interest in alternatives such as hydrogen fuel cells. It is predicted that by 2032, over 22 million fuel cells will be in operation. Fuel cells consume stored hydrogen and oxygen (from air) to produce electricity. Heat and water are the only by-products, so the technology is non-polluting at the point of use. However, fuel cells are still relatively expensive and a key way to reduce their cost is to supply air at higher pressure, using a compressor. This increases power output, allowing them to be made smaller and cheaper, but compressors can consume up to 40% of the energy produced by the fuel cell, so their efficiency is critical. Aeristech’s compressors operate much more efficiently, requiring 10-20% less power than competitive products. They are also up to 20% smaller and will operate continuously at high power for 4,000 hours without servicing. These unique advantages are creating enormous commercial interest. Our solution, FC-eCompressor, has been developed to prototype stage (TRL6) and we now need to optimise the technology for production and gain approvals for commercial supply. To achieve this, we must produce sample units that are manufactured using high-volume production techniques, but this is expensive and time-consuming. By overcoming this barrier, we will open-up market opportunities that will create at least 110 new jobs and generate over €65 million in cumulative revenue by 2025.