Bramble Energy, a ‘leading UK hydrogen fuel cell innovator’ based in Crawley, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the
EDAG Group, a global and independent engineering services provider, to collaborate on the development of a digital integration of its patented 3-D printed circuit board fuel cell (PCBFC) into EDAG’s electric vehicle (EV) storage platform.
The digital investigation project, named ‘FC-Storm’, will involve the design of a customised fuel cell stack as well as the overall system layout fitting the EV platform (including batteries, hydrogen storage, and FC stack with major bought-out parts), with clear vehicle simulation data providing evidence for its feasibility.
FC-Storm aims to create and highlight a design study of the 3-D 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. The high-power density, flexible form-factor, and easy power output adaptation of the PCBFC was a key consideration in this partnership.
Tom Mason, Bramble Energy’s co-founder and CEO, said: “Our partnership with EDAG Group is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the vast array of benefits that our cutting-edge PCBFC offers and its potential to offer a sustainable and efficient solution for passenger and light commercial vehicles. “Through our collaboration with EDAG Group, we will embark on an in-depth feasibility study that will present the performance advantages of hydrogen fuel cells as a viable sustainable mobility solution, with resulting scalable top level system architectures and vehicle simulation data helping to provide clear evidence.
“The results of this project will act as a platform for future projects, showcasing the significant benefits of integrating our fuel cell solution into an EV (electric vehicle) skateboard which surpass existing solutions.”
Andreas Viehmann, EDAG Group’s head of ‘Innovation Area Drive and Storage Technologies’, added: “By partnering with Bramble Energy on our FC-Storm project, we will be looking to demonstrate and outline the clear and abundant potentials of integrating a hydrogen fuel cell into EV platforms for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. We at EDAG are always on the hunt for novel approaches that will allow us to offer customised solutions to the automotive industry.
“The diversity of vehicle variants and the installation space requirements for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles are very challenging. For the integration in a typical energy storage space, Bramble’s PCBF technology offers exactly the flexibility and modularity for raising all the potential in terms of smart packaging, maximised performance, and customisation.”