Bramble Energy, a leading UK hydrogen fuel cell innovator, has signed an MoU with the EDAG Group, a globally leading, independent engineering services provider that combines excellent engineering with the latest technology trends, to collaborate on the development of a digital integration of its patented printed circuit board fuel cell (PCBFC™) into EDAG’s electric vehicle storage platform.
The digital investigation will involve the design of a customised fuel cell stack as well as the overall system layout fitting the EV platform (incl. batteries, hydrogen storage and FC stack with major BoP components), with clear vehicle simulation data providing evidence for its feasibility.
The project between Bramble and EDAG Group, named ‘FC-STORM’, aims to create and showcase a design study of the 3D integration of Bramble’s cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cell system into EDAG’s storage platform designed for passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles. With the limited space available within the skateboard platform presenting the biggest challenge, Bramble’s PCBFC™ has been selected due to its versatility to be manufactured to almost any size or arrangement delivering a high-power, flexible solution to meet the stringent requirements.
Bramble’s ground-breaking PCBFC™ solution will be digitally incorporated into EDAG’s customisable energy platform (adaptable hydrogen and battery energy storage quantities). The study will highlight the broad range of advantages that a combined fuel cell and skateboard solution offers, with its flexibility, sustainability and cost-efficiency combining to demonstrate the performance values of a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV).
The high-power density, flexible form-factor and easy power output adaptation of the PCBFC™ is a key consideration in this partnership. The requirement for the project will be a power output of > 40 kW including batteries and hydrogen storage at 700 bar which can be scaled depending on customer selected geometry variables of the skateboard such as height and width. Further System benefits are harnessed by realising a high voltage fuel cell adapted to a typical vehicle voltage level (i.e. 400 V or 800 V) that can be cooled without the need for deionised water, enabling a highly integrated electric power supply for mobility which surpasses current technical standards.
Dr Tom Mason, Bramble Energy co-founder and CEO, said: “Our partnership with EDAG Group is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the vast array of benefits that our cutting-edge PCBFC™ offers and its potential to offer a sustainable and efficient solution for passenger and light commercial vehicles.
“Through our collaboration with EDAG Group, we will embark on an in-depth feasibility study that will present the performance advantages of hydrogen fuel cells as a viable sustainable mobility solution, with resulting scalable lop level system architectures and vehicle simulation data helping to provide clear evidence. The results of this project will act as a platform for future projects, showcasing the significant benefits of integrating our fuel cell solution into an EV skateboard which surpass existing solutions.”
Dr.-Ing. Andreas Viehmann, Head of Innovation Area Drive and Storage Technologies at EDAG Group, added: “We are hugely excited to be partnering with Bramble Energy on our ‘FC-STORM’ project, as we look to demonstrate and outline the clear and abundant potentials of integrating a hydrogen fuel cell into innovative EV platforms for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.
“We at EDAG are always on the hunt for novel approaches to be able to offer our customers from the automotive industry customised solutions. The diversity of vehicle variants and the installation space requirements for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles are very challenging. For the integration in a typical energy storage space, Bramble’s PCBFC™ technology offers exactly the flexibility and modularity for raising all the potential in terms of smart packaging, maximised performance, and customisation. Therefore, we are looking forward for working closely with BRAMBLE on future projects and for facilitating the integration of the PBCFC™, ensuring that it maximises the performance and efficiency potential of the collaboration.”
Source: Bramble
