UK-based ZeroAvia, a developer of zero-emission options for industrial aviation, acquired in full the high-temperature PEM (HTPEM) gasoline cell stack innovator HyPoint. (Earlier submit.) The monetary phrases of the deal weren’t disclosed.
HyPoint’s core innovation is a brand new turbo air-cooling structure. By using compressed air for each cooling and oxygen provide, HyPoint reduces general weight in contrast with conventional liquid cooling. Utilizing a next-generation excessive temperature membrane as a substitute of a low temperature membrane will increase the effectivity of a cooling system by not less than 300%.
Testing has proven that HyPoint’s gasoline cell system will be capable to obtain as much as 2 kW kg-1 of particular energy—greater than triple the power-to-weight ratio of conventional (liquid-cooled) hydrogen gasoline cells methods. It should additionally characteristic as much as 1,500 Wh kg-1 of vitality density, enabling longer-distance journeys.
HyPoint 150 kW turbo air-cooled HTPEM gasoline cell system
The acquisition provides HyPoint’s high-temperature gasoline cell expertise—a promising avenue for growing energy output and vitality density of aviation gasoline cell powertrains—to ZeroAvia’s already main experience in creating the total powertrain to allow hydrogen-electric flight.
This acquisition follows a significant deal with ZeroAvia’s long-term gasoline cell companion PowerCell which is able to see the serial supply of low-temperature PEM gasoline cell stacks starting in 2024. Collectively, these strikes will permit ZeroAvia to progress each LTPEM and HTPEM applied sciences for related aviation purposes.
All 40 HyPoint staff members shall be built-in into ZeroAvia, working throughout the R&D places in Kemble, Gloucestershire and HyPoint’s location in Sandwich, Kent. HyPoint’s CEO Alex Ivanenko joins ZeroAvia as GM for VTOL and New Segments, to develop ZeroAvia’s rotorcraft enterprise purposes, and to discover different purposes exterior of ZeroAvia’s core give attention to fixed-wing industrial aviation.
All of HyPoint’s engineering staff will be a part of ZeroAvia’s Hydrogen Energy Era Methods (PGS) division led by Rudolf Coertze, CTO Hydrogen.
The 2 firms have labored carefully collectively on co-developing and testing HTPEM gasoline cell expertise as a part of ZeroAvia’s powertrain improvement over the past couple of years, with HyPoint relocating the majority of its R&D into the UK in February 2022 to help the partnership.
HyPoint has garnered recognition as an innovator creating expertise with the potential to considerably expedite the introduction of gasoline cell propulsion into bigger plane. This early partnership was a part of ZeroAvia’s work throughout the HyFlyer II program, supported by the UK’s ATI Program.
