EDITOR ’ S CHOICE LATEST NEWS FROM C-ALPS
C-ALPS
C-ALPS targets hydrogen fuel cell opportunities with £ 2m new lab investment
Over £ 2m is being invested into developing a world class hydrogen fuel cell development facility in Coventry University , as the UK looks to lead the globe with electrified propulsion systems .
The Centre for Advanced Low-Carbon Propulsion Systems ( C-ALPS ), which works with a number of industrial partners , has pressed the button on work that will create a dedicated 100sq metre Hydrogen Fuel Cell lab and comprehensive upgrade of its powertrain cells for running with hydrogen fuel .
The new facilities will be housed inside the £ 50m research centre that was opened in 2018 and will feature a fully equipped laboratory alongside the upgraded test cells for fuel cell and electrolyser system , stack and cell-level testing and diagnostic / post-mortem work .
There will be areas for instrumenting and commissioning electric drive and fuel cell systems and equipment for environmental testing of powertrain components and systems from -40 0 to + 120 0
This investment will complement C-ALPS ’ bespoke fuel cell test stands , which have been developed in-house and feature advanced electrochemical diagnostics for detailed characterisation of applicationscale fuel cells and stacks .
Construction and fit-out will be completed by late August 2021 and will give researchers state-of-the-art facilities to undertake fundamental and collaborative applied research with industry .
“ Sustainable electric propulsion and mobile energy storage solutions are essential in decarbonising the transport sector and improving air quality . Hydrogen , as a fuel , will almost certainly play a significant role in this transition ,” explained Simon Shepherd , Director of C-ALPS .
“ Our latest investments strengthen our existing hydrogen energy research capabilities and give us the facility to support partners in both fuel cell and hydrogen generation R & D and fuel cell application projects .”
He continued : “ There is massive interest in this area of electrification and adoption of these technologies is growing extremely fast in Europe and Asia , mainly from stakeholders involved in heavy-duty commercial vehicles , bus and coach , marine , rail transport and aerospace applications .
16 PECM Issue 50