Fuel cell stack alliance

Cambridge-based

has entered into a non-exclusive collaboration

and

to jointly develop a single-step production process for the mass-manufacture of entire fuel cell stacks. The stacks will be based around CMR's fuel cell architecture.

The collaboration has been initiated in order to develop printing techniques and know-how with a view to developing a single-step production process for the manufacture of fuel cell stacks. According to CMR, a single-step production process would yield significant gains in cost reduction, size reduction and increased reliability.

The collaboration will combine CMR’s fuel cell architecture with Xaar’s inkjet technology and Solvay’s advanced polymer materials to develop techniques that could lead to the production of inkjet printed, multi-cell fuel cell stacks.

This approach is made possible by CMR’s 'mixed reactant flow-through' fuel cell architecture and aims to eliminate the costs associated with the current high precision, low yield multi-stage assembly - comprising a high number of component pieces - found in traditional fuel cells.

CMR aims to pioneer advances in high-volume fabrication technology to exploit the tremendous potential offered by mass production of fuel cells capable of delivering the high-power densities required to enable next-generation portable applications for the worldwide consumer electronics industry.