By Optima Life Science, an industry leader in web processing technology, is hard at work on a test converter made with cutting-edge fuel cell manufacturing techniques in mind.
Accordingly, the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg provides a sizable amount of money to the corporation.
A modular test converter is in the works at the firm. This allows for the rapid and simple implementation of novel concepts, process improvements, and product enhancements. Fuel cell manufacturing techniques of the future will be tested in a prototype setting before being implemented in full scale production systems.
There is no foreseeable end to the need for modifications to the membrane electrode assembly, which is a part of every fuel cell, as new fuel cell designs and sizes are required to accommodate the expanding field of fuel cells (MEA). There is a pressing need for research into and improvement of production techniques. This is precisely why OPTIMA created the Modular Test Converter (MTC). Processes may be rearranged, new ones added, and old ones eliminated with ease. You can test everything from a single procedure to an entire production run, all the way up to the manufactured MEA for the fuel cell.
When new products and production methods are developed in tandem, businesses face less economic risk. In addition to rapidly implementing and validating process and product optimization ideas, this is also possible throughout product development. Incorporating the newfound expertise into production is a simple process. Finally, the OPTIMA MTC system is suitable for sampling and production in small series.
The complexity of the processes
The fuel cell’s membrane electrode assembly is its beating heart. When hydrogen and oxygen are combined, they trigger an electrochemical reaction that yields both electricity and water. Membranes, frames, and gas diffusion layers, among other Optima system components, are all fed directly from the roll. In the intricate, continuous web process, individual elements are trimmed to size and combined into the MEA. To get the fuel cells to work as efficiently as possible, every stage of the procedure must be carried out with pinpoint accuracy. Optima provides the digital solutions necessary for the traceability of each unique MEA, in addition to the manufacturing technology necessary for MEA production.
There is a huge need for product and process development, as evidenced by both past project experiences and queries from the hydrogen industry. To meet this need, Optima Life Science designed and manufactured the OPTIMA MTC test converter.
Future Program Hydrogen BW Funding.
The state of Baden-Wuerttemberg provided funds to Optima in order to help the company maximize the efficiency of its manufacturing processes and encourage the quick development of this promising future technology. The Ministry of Environment, Climate Protection, and the Energy Sector has been sponsoring twenty hydrogen and fuel cell technology projects under the “Future Program Hydrogen BW” since the year 2022. Budgetary funds totaling 26.4 million Euros are being allocated by the state government to advance this technology.
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