Compact, efficient, low-cost turbomachine compressor for automotive fuel cell systems

该项目旨在使涡轮压缩机可用于燃料电池工业。这需要空气动力学、电气和机械方面的创新，但如果成功，它将为汽车燃料电池系统提供最低成本、最紧凑、最高效、最可扩展的压缩机。该项目将使用铝制涡轮式压缩机，具有汽车制造公差，与无变速器的可变高速电机直接耦合。这代表了从根式和螺杆式压缩机逐步改变。该项目还必须设计压缩机，以适应燃料电池的要求，并在没有油污染燃料电池的情况下运行。此外，电动机必须能够承受高度可变的输入电压，以反映燃料电池电压的变化，这样电动机就可以直接从燃料电池的终端运行，而不需要在燃料电池的输出DC/DC转换器上增加额外的负载。该项目将由Aeristech公司领导，Aeristech公司将其专利技术应用于涡轮机器直接驱动的可变高速电机，以满足这种独特的、油不利的、可变电压的应用。帝国理工学院将提供一种压缩机设计，能够在一定范围内的质量流量恒定增压。智能能源公司将把电动助推器集成到燃料电池和燃料电池控制器中，然后进行性能测试。该项目将在燃料电池上安装一台涡轮压缩机。项目完成后，合作伙伴将继续完善、改进和利用该系统。

This project aims to make turbomachine compressors available to the fuel cell industry. This requires aerodynamic, electrical, and mechanical innovations, but if successful it will provide the most low-cost, compact, efficient, and scalable compressor for automotive fuel cell systems. The project will use an aluminium, turbomachine-type compressor with volume automotive manufacturing tolerances, direct-coupled to a variable high-speed motor with no transmission. This represents a step-change from roots and screw-type compressors. The project must also design the compressor to cope with a wide flow map to suit fuel cell requirements, as well as to operate without oil contamination to the fuel cell. Additionally, the electric motor must tolerate highly variable input voltage, reflecting the variations in fuel cell voltage, so that the motor can run directly from the fuel cell's terminals without the need for an additional load on the fuel cell's output DC/DC converter. The project will be led by Aeristech who will apply its proprietary and patented technology in variable high-speed motors for turbomachine direct drive to this unique, oil-adverse, variable-voltage application. Imperial College will provide a compressor design capable of constant boost across a range of mass flows. Intelligent Energy will integrate the electric booster into their fuel cell and fuel cell controller, then carry out performance tests. The project will conclude with a turbomachine compressor working on a fuel cell. Following completion of the project, the system will continue to be refined, improved, and exploited by the partners.