The digital investigation will involve the design of a customized 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 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 PCBFC solution will be digitally incorporated into EDAG’s customizable 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 realizing 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 deionized water, enabling a highly integrated electric power supply for mobility which surpasses current technical standards.
Co-founded in 2016 by Dr Tom Mason in the research labs at Imperial College of London and University College of London, Bramble Energy has developed the unique printed circuit board (PCB) fuel cell – the PCBFC. a patent-protected fuel cell that can be manufactured in almost all printed circuit board (PCB) factories worldwide.
