EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies and Swiss digital engineering firm Akkodis are preparing to trial EKPO's NM20 fuel cell stack in a 40-tonne hydrogen truck under real-world logistics conditions. Akkodis will design and assemble the fuel cell powertrain and integrate it into the vehicle, which will then run in revenue service with a logistics operator to generate operational data on load profiles and environmental performance, supplementing ongoing test-bench work.
The demonstrator uses a one-stack-one-system architecture: a single NM20 unit, rather than a multistack configuration, delivers a system output of up to 360 kW at efficiencies as high as 61%. The stack itself is rated up to 400 kW and is designed for a service life exceeding 25,000 operating hours. EKPO says the current-voltage characteristics of the NM20 also make it suitable for integration into high-voltage systems beyond road transport, including megawatt-scale applications.
For EKPO, the truck functions as a mobile validation platform during an early development phase, allowing engineers to study interactions between the stack, balance of plant, thermal management, control systems and high-voltage architecture before scaling to series production. Data on system architecture, operating strategy and component performance is intended to feed a reference platform for other integrators, potentially applicable to stationary power, shipping and off-highway machinery, as well as further NM20 development.
Development and commercialisation of the NM20 are supported under the EU's IPCEI funding programme. EKPO is a joint venture between ElringKlinger and OPmobility.
Source: electrive.com — read the original article