Compress for success

A new design for a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) auxiliary component could make the technology less expensive to mass produce for cars.

PEMFC is viewed as a promising power source for automotive applications because its low-temperature working conditions allow it to start faster than those technologies using high-temperature fuel cells. The high power-density of a PEMFC also makes it an easy fit for the limited space available in a car.

The technology's market acceptance has been hindered, however, by the high cost, mass and noise of a PEMFC's auxiliary systems.

One critical part is the Air Management System. This uses an air compressor to transfer oxygen from the outside environment to the fuel cell, where it oxidises hydrogen into H2O.

Dynamic Boosting Systems, an

spin-out, claims to have developed a cheaper, smaller and quieter alternative to traditional compressors used for the job. The technology is scheduled for commercialisation in 2010.

The company's patented TurboClaw turbo-compressor is based on a forward-swept rotor blade design, differing from most conventional turbomachines with back-swept rotor blades.